


Tell All the Truth but tell it Slant

by nebulas (strawberry_bee)



Category: Star Trek
Genre: F/F, M/M, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-07-12 01:04:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 26,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7078108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberry_bee/pseuds/nebulas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spock is an undercover Vulcan agent on the planet Earth, circa 2016. After a run in with James T. Kirk, he is pulled into the shenanigans of Kirk's friends, aka The Crew. Will Spock be able to complete his mission by studying how human technology advanced, or will he be sidetracked by his newfound friends antics?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

The late afternoon light beat down on the sidewalks of the city. Los Angeles was beautiful in early August, and the day was no exception. Kirk found himself heading away from his apartment, instead choosing to spend the day on a bit of an adventure. Satchel swung across his shoulder, he texted his roommate Bones that he’d be late getting home before allowing himself the pleasure of not worrying. 

He chose to go to the ice cream parlor that he had been eyeing all summer long, as a treat to himself for surviving his first day back in the university. The charming parlor was a faint pastel green and pink with wrought white iron chairs and tables up front. It was straight out of a novel, and Kirk had been dying to go and check it out. He paused in front of the place and took a deep breath, feeling the day soak into his skin before he stepped inside. 

The parlor was fairly busy, with a mother and two pigtailed girls eating at a little corner table. A couple of teenagers were shoving each other around, laughing raucously as the one in the middle ducked his head into his ice cream, face a bright red as he was elbowed by his friends. There was a gentleman standing in line, wearing a beanie as he squinted at the flavors. Kirk had never seen anyone look so stressed out about buying some ice cream before. Being the good samaritan he was, he walked over to him and peered into the glass covered tubs of ice cream along with him.

“I’m always a fan of the mint chocolate ice cream.” Kirk said brightly. Okay, well, he had never been there before, but the flavor was certainly a fail safe go to for anyone. The man hummed uncertainly.

“Is it normal for it to have a green tinge?” He asked politely, tone clipped in a formal fashion that reminded Kirk of an A.I. in a sci-fi film. But if Kirk had learned anything about living in Los Angeles, it was that it attracted all sorts of people. 

“Well, as far as I know, yes. Maybe chocolate ice cream would be best.” Kirk offered, pointing to another tub of ice cream a little further down. The man hummed again uncertainly. The woman behind the counter sighed in exasperation, and Kirk gave her a sympathetic look. He had the feeling that the guy had been spending quite some time standing there.

“One scoop of chocolate ice cream, please.” The man said formerly, shifting down to the cash register. Kirk watched him move down, and pointed to the mint ice cream absently.

“One of the mint too, please. I’ll be paying for my friend.” Kirk said, moving down to the man. Call it intuition, but he had the hankering that he should befriend this guy. He shuffled down to where the man was, digging into his back pocket for his wallet. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll pay for you.” Kirk said, brushing past him. He got his card out and handed it to the cashier and accepted his cup. He noticed that the man took great care not to touch the hand of the woman as he accepted his own cup. Kirk grabbed a spoon and turned back to the man. 

“It was not necessary to pay for my ice cream, nevertheless thank you for your kindness.” The man said, turning to Kirk. Kirk blinked up at him, wondering where on earth this guy had even come from. 

“It’s no problem, but you can pay me back by telling me about yourself.” Kirk said, drawing him away from the register and outside, where he found a nice spot in the shade against the storefront. To his delight the man had followed him out, albeit uncertainly. He sat down and took a spoonful of his ice cream, savoring the mint flavor as the man settled himself across from him. 

“My name is Spock.” Spoc said, a little uncertainly. Spock took a hesitant bite of his own ice cream, and raised an eyebrow at the taste. 

“I’ve never heard of a Spock before. My name is Jim, Jim Kirk.” Kirk said. He tapped his foot under the table, searching for something to talk about. “Do you like to read, Spock?” 

“I do not believe we have read similar things, Jim.” Spock said, taking another bite of his ice cream before setting it down. 

“Oh, c’mon. I’m sure you’ve read some classics. Emily Dickinson? Well, she’s a poet, poetry isn’t generally something people enjoy reading in their down time. How about Edgar Allen Poe?” Kirk held up a finger, turning to his satchel and digging through it before pulling out a collection of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, setting it on the table before closing his satchel up once more. 

“Tell you what, you can borrow my copy of her selection of works, and then you can tell me how you feel about her.” Kirk offered. Spock, much to his credit, looked intrigued by what Kirk was saying, something that warmed his heart. 

“That would be...satisfactory. Where will I need to return it to you?” Spock asked, reaching for the book. He handled it with care, tracing the well worn spine with a slender finger as he studied the faded gold lettering on it. Kirk smiled, taking a post it note out of his bag. He wrote his number on it in a quick scrawl, before placing it on the cover of the book that Spock had set down in exchange for his ice cream.

“Do you have a cellphone? You can always text me to that number, or call too. But don’t call me after ten, Bones gets cranky if he misses any of his beauty sleep.” Kirk said, taking another bite of his ice cream.

“Bones?” Spock asked, studying the post-it closely. 

“Bones is my roommate. He’s currently going through his medical internship at the hospital, so he has extremely irregular hours. So when he’s home, he really doesn’t wanna be woken up if he’s trying to sleep.” Kirk explained, polishing off his ice cream. He noticed that Spock was looking a little green, and he cleared his throat. 

“Er, if the ice cream is making you ill, you don’t have to eat all of it.” Kirk said, worried for his well-being. 

“That would be best.” Spock said, clearly relieved as he set down his half-finished ice cream. Kirk wondered what was in it that had made him so sickly looking, and made note not to give Spock anything with chocolate in it in the near future. 

“Your roommate sounds fascinating. How long does he have until he obtains his medical license?” Spock asked, resting his hands flat on the table. 

“According to Bones, hell will freeze over before he’s given his degree. But anyway, more accurately he’ll probably get it at the end of next year. He just started in July.” Kirk said, leaning back in his seat. Spock, on the other hand, seemed almost uncomfortable the way he sat perfectly in his seat. Or well, unless his eyes were playing tricks on him, Spock was swaying a little in his seat. 

“And what are you studying, Jim?” Spock asked.

“Well, I’m getting my major in astrophysics, mostly because I’m hoping that it’ll get me up into space.” Kirk smiled a little ruefully. “In fact, I signed up for the NASA Mars program, but I haven’t heard anything back yet.” 

“Does that upset you?” He asked, slouching in his seat a little bit. Kirk wondered what was up with him, but continued on anyway. 

“Who wouldn’t be upset? It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, Spock. I just want to be a part of something more than myself, and that was probably the easiest way of doing so.” Kirk sighed, rubbing his eyes. “I’ll find out a way to get there though, it’s not like space is going anywhere in the near future.” 

“Perhaps they have hundreds of applications. Evaluation can take months at a time, especially with such primitive technology such as your-” Spock made a strangled sound, and Kirk tilted his head to the side, furrowing his eyebrows. 

“Are you okay, Spock?” Kirk asked. 

“No, I-I am afraid I must go, Jim.” Spock stood up abruptly, grabbing the book along with its sticky note. He turned on his heel and teetered down the sidewalk, occasionally brushing against other people that made him jump. Kirk watched him go, utterly confused. 

“Maybe ice cream parlors aren’t the sort of place to meet new people.” Kirk grumbled to himself, cleaning up the ice cream and disposing of it in a trash can. With a sigh, he turned the other direction towards home.


	2. Chapter 2

Kirk lounged on the dingy couch across from Bones, eating an apple as they watched some worn down sit-com with equally worn down actors on it. He couldn’t remember the basic plot of the show, but he knew that Bones loved it, so he wasn’t going to say a single word against it. His phone buzzed on the nightstand beside him, and he picked it up lazily, noticing that it was an unknown number. He began to put it down again when he remembered the ice cream parlor fiasco just a few days prior, and sat up immediately. 

“Don’t tell me it’s one of your exes.” Bones said dryly, and Kirk shook his head, reading the message. 

“No, no. It’s that guy I told you about from the ice cream parlor. He finished the book I gave him and wants to meet up again.” Kirk said, typing out a reply as he spoke.

“Oh, the one that took off like he was about to throw up all over the place?” Bones asked, turning down the television ever so slightly. 

“Yeah, the very one. He apologized for suddenly running off and want’s to return my book to me.” He said. 

“Do not give the stranger our address.” Bones warned, as if Kirk needed to be reminded about stranger danger.

“I wont, geez.” Kirk sighed, setting his phone back down. He got to his feet and stepped into his bedroom, kicking around at the dirty clothes on the floor to find a clean pair of clothes. 

“Remember we’re meeting up with Nyota and Christine for drinks!” Bones called from the other room. Kirk made a face at a rather smelly beatles t-shirt and dropped it back to the floor, instead choosing to go with his nasa t-shirt and a pair of jeans that had probably seen better days. He made his way back to the living room and pulled on his shoes, humming to himself as he tied them.

“We’re meeting them at eight, right?” Kirk asked, pocketing his phone and grabbed his satchel.

“Yeah, if you’re still hanging with this ‘friend’, don’t hesitate to bring him along.” Bones said, waving him away. 

“Bye Bones!” Kirk said cheerfully as he stepped out of the apartment.

Kirk raced down the stairs of the apartment complex, whistling the entire way as he went. They had arranged to meet up at the public library, partly because they were going to be discussing books, and partly because he loved the atmosphere of a large library. 

He took a taxi to the public library, checking to make sure he had the books he needed to turn in. Kirk was hoping that Spock wouldn’t feel so awkward, as they hadn’t really gotten to have much of a conversation from the other day. Plus, Kirk had found himself wondering about him, and had been glad to hear from him once more. 

He paid the taxi driver and stepped out into the overcast day, blinking a little as a raindrop splashed onto his face. He spotted Spock under the the roof of the library, standing at the entrance with his hands behind his back. Kirk raised his arm in greeting and raced up the steps to meet up with him.

“Hey, did you enjoy the book?” Kirk asked as Spock extended the novel out to him. Kirk took it from him, feeling the familiar scars in it’s cover. He slipped it into his satchel and glanced back up at Spock. 

“I found her poetry most profound. Particularly ‘Heaven is what I cannot reach’.” Spock said, opening the door for Kirk. He offered him a smile and stepped into the air conditioned lobby, stepping to the side so Spock could step in beside him.

“The apple on the tree, Provided it do hopeless hang, that heaven Is, to me.” Kirk recited, offering him a smile. “And what do you miss so dearly, Mister Spock?” 

Spock inclined his head. “Sometimes...home is something only the heavens can give.” 

Kirk shook his head a little, moving to deposit his books into the book return. They moved together into the bowels of the library, past the children’s section and the mystery novel section until they reached the non-fiction. Spock followed along behind, watching everyone in the library with a keen interest. 

“You live here, right?” Kirk asked, browsing through the novels.

“Yes.” Spock responded, gazing at the shelf just beside Kirk’s. 

“Good, I’ll help you set up a library membership. Unless you already have one?” He asked. Spock shook his head no in answer. Kirk selected several volumes, turning to Spock and pushing them at him until he held up his hands to hold them. 

“Cosmos, by Carl Sagan?” Spock asked questioningly. 

“Well, since you know I want to go to space so much, I figured that you should read about the man that inspired me to do so.” Kirk said, selecting another book and dropping it on top of the others in Spock’s arms. 

“Sally Ride.” Spock stated.

“First American woman in space, can’t get much better than that.” Kirk said cheerfully, and moved away from the non-fiction section, heading into the fiction. “Since we’re on a science kick, it makes sense to do Sci-Fi.” 

“Will there be any other selections on poetry?” Spock asked. Kirk could almost hear the hopefulness in Spock’s tone. Kirk was beginning to pick up on the fact that Spock didn’t show much emotion, mostly by just how much more Spock’s moods affected him in their subtleties. 

“Of course, I wouldn’t deny you the pleasures of a good poem.” Kirk said, smiling at Spock. He chose Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as well as a small selection of Percy Shelley’s poems before he herded Spock to a table near the back. They sat on opposite ends of the table, and Kirk rested his chin on his hand, watching Spock thumb through the first few pages of Cosmos. Spock glanced up from what he was reading, studying Kirk for a long moment before setting the novel down. 

“You never told me what you do for a living. Or, er, what you’re studying to become.” Kirk pointed out. 

“I am in the process of becoming an intelligence analyst of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” Spock said matter-of-factly. 

“Woah, that must be extensive. Are you anywhere close to being accepted?” Kirk asked. 

“To borrow your friend’s phrase, I do believe I shall have to wait until hell freezes over.” Spock answered. Kirk laughed lightly, shaking his head. He wondered if Spock and Bones would even get along, and then decided to jump on Bones’ offer to have Spock tag along. 

“Speaking of friends, my friends are getting together for a drink or two in about half an hour. Would you like to come along?” Kirk asked carefully.

“That would be agreeable.” Spock said. 

“Great. C’mon, let’s go.” Kirk said. Together they brought Spock’s books to the front, where Kirk helped Spock sign up for a library membership. Spock purchased a bag with colorful cartoon animals on it to carry his books in, looking quite pleased with the design of the creatures as he placed his books carefully inside. Kirk tried to keep the foolish grin off his face, because there was something about Spock that left him all giddy. 

Together they walked to the bar, Spock holding onto his bag of books and Kirk onto his satchel. The streets were bustling with people heading out for the night dressed in glittery dresses and fine three piece suits. It was a night of celebration. 

“Do you get dressed up and go out often?” Kirk asked, glancing over at Spock. He couldn’t imagine him wearing anything but a beanie and the many layers of clothes he had on, but maybe he was full of surprises. 

“Not regularly. I mostly focus on my studies.” Spock said. 

“Well, it’s good that I’m getting you out and about, then. There’s more to life than just studying, Spocko.” Kirk said.

The bar that became the crew’s familiar old haunt was a bit of a hole in the wall. The kind that drew in people like Kirk and Bones and spat them back out again at the end of a long night. Kirk held the door open for Spock, and Kirk brushed past Spock to stand in the foyer. The dim lighting took a second to get used to, but a moment later Kirk spotted Nyota waving them over, leaning against her girlfriend, Christine. Kirk beamed at them and touched Spock’s shoulder gently, drawing his attention almost immediately. He drew his hand away and headed over to the table that his friends had secured near the back. The familiar posters hung around them in cascading shades of vibrant colors, drawing them close together as they spoke to be heard over the music coming out of the speakers just to the left of their table. It was the worst table in the entire bar to sit at. But it was their own. Kirk took his place beside Bones, and Spock sat right beside him, offering a polite nod to the members of the group. 

“This is the guy I found in the ice cream parlor, Bones. Er, hang on.” Kirk turned to spock and gestured to Bones. “This is Bones, the one who’s working to become a doctor.” 

“Oh, so this is the guy that Jim’s been going on about? The name’s Leonard McCoy.” Bones said, extending his hand out to shake Spocks’. Spock did not look so friendly anymore. 

“I’m afraid I...do not partake in handshakes, Doctor McCoy.” Spock said carefully, an edge in his tone that made Kirk’s head turn. 

“Oh, is it because I work in a hospital? Germaphobes these days.” Bones said, rolling his eyes at Christine. Kirk kicked his leg under the table, trying to tell him to be nice. Bones gave him a look that made Kirk scoot a little closer to Spock’s side of the table. 

“Don’t mind him. He’s just cranky because he’s got a shift at the hospital early tomorrow. My name’s Nyota Uhura.” Uhura said, offering a smile to Spock. 

“Is it a common practice for you to prefer your medical personnel exhausted at all times?” Spock asked. 

“Well, as a nurse, not particularly. Christine Chapel, by the way.” Chapel said, resting her hand on top of Uhura’s as she spoke. 

“Have you guys ordered any drinks yet?” Kirk asked, craning his head back to see if the bartender was busy. 

“Nah, we were waiting on you. Just ask for a round of beers” Uhura said, turning to Spock. “So, where’d you get your beanie from?” 

Kirk left Spock to settle in with his friends, going to the bartender to order the drinks. He tapped his fingers against the bar, dying to go back and hear all the things they were saying and talking about. He glanced back to see Bones laughing at something he could only guess that Uhura had said, and was glad to see an uneasy smile on Spock’s face. Even if it looked a little forced and pained, at least Spock was having fun. 

All too soon he was making his way back, having given his order to the bartender. He slid into his seat, just to hear Bones go; “-and like, this guy had even told Kirk he could pick his lock with ease! But that didn’t stop him from bringing him on home.” 

Kirk wondered if it was too late to get right back up and head the other way. 

“Okay but, he seemed friendly enough.” He said defensively. The man had been, after all. Of course Kirk had caught him trying to steal some of their money, but after he had offered to give him a twenty, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal. 

“He almost robbed us blind.” Bones pointed out, smiling at him nevertheless.

“Is this what you guys have been doing, telling embarrassing stories to Spock about my trustworthiness in humanity as a whole?” Kirk asked, pretending to be wounded. 

“That’s exactly what we’re doing. Remember the time Jim went back to Iowa for a week to see his mom and brother, and you got robbed like five times that week?” Uhura asked. The group dissolved into laughter as Bones glowered at Kirk.

“Hey now, it wasn’t my fault!” Kirk said defensively. Bones shook his head at Kirk, turning away dramatically to face Chapel. 

“Is it common for hum-I mean, for you to be robbed while Jim is away?” Spock asked politely, interceding the friendly banter. 

“Well, it certainly isn’t my bubbling personality that’s keeping them away.” Bones deadpanned, and Kirk snorted. 

“I do not understand.” Spock said, but was drowned out by the bartender bringing them their drinks. Kirk took a sip of the beer, savoring the taste before he set it down again. Chapel brushed some foam from Uhura’s mouth with her thumb, and Uhura leaned in for a kiss. Kirk turned away from the public display of affection to smile at Spock.

“Are you enjoying your time with us?” He asked, noticing that Spock himself had some foam on his upper lip. Embarrassed, he grabbed the napkin from under his beer and extended it to Spock, gesturing to his own upper lip as he averted his eyes. Spock took the napkin and wiped his mouth, giving Kirk an incredulous look.

“Well enough. I still do not understand how Doctor McCoy would not be capable of a ‘bubbly’ personality in order to prevent his personal belongings from being stolen.” Spock said earnestly. 

“Why do you keep calling me doctor? I’m not even done with my internship.” Bones butted in, leaning against the table to catch Spock’s eye.

“I apologize. I thought that since you are in training for the profession, you would be honored to be addressed as such.” Spock said.

“Where did you find this guy?” Bones asked, shaking his head as he took a swig of his beer. 

“Be nice, Spock is just extremely personable.” Kirk said defensively, patting Bones on the shoulder before turning back to Spock. “Bones isn’t much of a people person, so that’s why he got robbed a lot.” 

“Bullshit, they just didn’t wanna hurt your feelings, Jim.” Bones fired back, and Kirk made a face. 

“I think you overestimate how much people care about what I think, Bones.” Kirk said dryly, rolling his eyes to Spock. 

The tension quickly dissolved among the group as Scotty joined them. Scotty was more of Bones’ friend, and by extension Kirk’s as well. He was an engineering student at the same university as Kirk. He brought along with him a short boy with curly, churubish hair and a wide-eyed expression that spoke volumes of his knowledge of the world. 

“Uhm, Scotty, how old is your friend?” Kirk asked carefully, eyeing the teenager with a weary look. 

“Ah, this is Pavel Chekov. Got paired with him on an engineering experiment. Decided to bring him along for some real college experience, considering the fact that he’s gonna be the CEO of a mega corporation by the time he’s twenty-one.” Scotty said off-handedly, pulling up a chair to sit beside Bones. 

“The kid can’t be more than fourteen! You can’t let him in here, he’s gonna sneak a drink or something.” Bones snapped, glowering at the kid. 

“Actually, I’m fifteen.” Chekov said, puffing out his chest quite proudly. 

“Oh, great. He’s fifteen Jim. How wonderful.” Bones snapped in exasperation. 

“How is that my fault?” Kirk demanded, completely lost. 

“I don’t know. But it is.” Bones grumbled, reaching out and pulling any drinks in the near vicinity of Chekov away. To the kids credit, he didn’t seem too phased by Bones harsh demeanor. 

“So, Pavel, what are you studying?” Uhura asked, resting her chin in her hand. 

“I’m studying aerospace technology.” Chekov replied, deeply serious as he methodically tore up a napkin in front of him. 

“That’s wonderful, for awhile I considered a route in engineering, but linguistics will always be my first love.” Uhura said, fondness in her tone. “What do you hope to achieve in your field?”

“Warp drive.” Chekov said, exhaling like it was a secret that he had been holding in for years and years. Kirk felt himself warm up to the kid. If it’s one thing he could understand, it was passion in another human. 

“Well, ya won't unless we ace this project.” Scotty butted in, elbowing Chekov in the side. “I’m tellin’ ya, I’m gonna be pulling an all nighter with this kid if we don’t get to work right away.” 

What went unsaid was that they were at a bar instead of working on the very important project, as it was practically tradition for Scotty to procrastinate until the very last moment. But that was part of the charm of Montgomery Scott. 

“Hey, who’re you?” Scotty asked, squinting at Spock across the table. 

“I am Spock, Jim’s friend.” Spock said, glancing at Kirk with a look of faint worry. Kirk smiled at him, showing that he was in the right to consider him as such.

“Jim? Kirk won’t even let me call him that, and it’s been half a year.” Scotty retorted, standing up. “Well, I’m gonna get myself somethin’ to drink. Soda for ya.” He said, pointing to Chekov before he turned to go back to the bartender. 

“You should have mentioned that calling you Jim was informal, Kirk.” Spock said. Kirk scoffed.

“It’s just a small quirk of mine, Mister Spock. I wouldn’t worry about it.” Kirk said off-handedly. 

“It will not happen again.” Spock responded, deadly serious. 

“He’s not going to banish you from ever seeing you again, Spock.” Bones said, before jumping into a conversation on proper protocol for treating a dog bite with Christine. Kirk listened to their conversation for several moments, but was distracted by Scotty coming back with an orange soda and a glass of scotch, in which he downed in one go. 

The night wore on in an easy fashion, the group fell into the old swing of things even with it’s new additions. Chekov and Spock each found their niche, even though Spock stood more of a spectator than anything else. The first to go were Christine and Uhura, as Uhura had a test early the next morning. Following after them was Chekov and Scotty, as Scotty had suddenly remembered that they had a certain project to work on, that was actually due in two days that he had failed to mention. Along with them went the other familiar patrons of the bar, until it was just Bones, Kirk, and Spock.

“You know, you’re alright.” Bones said, sizing Spock up. Spock blinked at him, opening his mouth to say something before Bones cut him off.

“Don’t say anymore, I’ve already been sappy enough for the night. I think it’s time we headed back, Jim.” Bones stood up and grabbed his coat, swinging it over his shoulder. He noticed that Kirk remained in his seat with Spock and clapped Kirk on the back. 

“Make sure to lock the door when you get home, god forbid that pick locker stops by again.” Bones said, before leaving. 

Kirk and Spock sat together in amicable silence, the former drawing lines into the condensation of the glass mug before him. Beside him Spock adjusted his beanie, appearing to be deep in thought. After several minutes, Kirk stood and Spock went with him. Together they walked out into the street, which held the bitter edge of autumn just creeping in. Kirk rubbed his arms to stay warm, looking up and down the street for a taxi.

“Thank you for inviting me, Kirk.” Spock said as he took off one of the jackets he wore. Kirk had forgotten how strange it was for him to be wearing so many layers. He blinked as Spock extended the jacket out to him. He took it hesitantly, before shrugging it onto his shoulders. It was warm, and smelled of Spock, which Kirk found to be a pleasant thing indeed. 

“If I can keep one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.” Kirk said, the wind nearly tearing away his words away. Spock smiled softly at him, and perhaps that’s all that needed to be said before they parted ways. Just as Kirk hailed a taxi, he turned to shout to Spock to meet him once more, but all he saw was the tip of a beanie rounding the corner, and a sudden aching feeling in Kirk’s chest that had not been there the night before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This concludes chapter two! Thank you for leaving comments, I appreciate them so much. <3


	3. Chapter 3

The weeks flowed into autumn, and along with them the leaves began to fall. Spock no longer looked so out of place in his beanie, but that did not prevent the crew from questioning why their new found friend preferred to keep his head covered at all times. 

“I think that he hates his haircut, I mean, it’s the twenty-first century and he has a bowl cut.” Christine pointed out, perched on the edge of the park bench. They had all decided that it would be a fun activity to feed the ducks. Well, until the ducks declared mutiny and attacked Bones. They had fled deeper into the park, and were now sitting around while Bones sulked over the fact that all avians hated him. 

“No way. His hair would’ve grown out enough by now for him to stop wearing them.” Chekov said, sitting in the grass beside the park bench. 

“That’s true. Hey Kirk, why hasn’t Spock ever showed you his head? You’re closer to him than any of us.” Uhura said, head nestled in Chapel’s lap as she laid out on the park bench. 

“I dont know. I guess I just never wanted to know.” Kirk replied, meticulously shredding the leaf in his hands. That was a lie. He had asked once, but Spock had avoided the question in such a way that made Kirk feel like he had crossed a line between the two of them. 

“I personally think he’s hiding a third eye under that beanie of his. And you can tell him that, too.” Bones said, glaring in the direction of the geese. 

“I am not going to tell Spock that you think he has a third eye. He has enough stress in his life as is.” Kirk responded.

“Wh-what kind of stress does that granola have?” Bones asked in exasperation. 

“I don’t know, Bones. Just be nice.” Kirk said. 

“I’ll be nice when he stops being so damn mysterious about everything.” Bones grumbled. 

“Speaking of which, where is he anyway?” Chapel asked, brushing her fingers through Uhura’s hair as she spoke.

“He said he had some FBI meeting to attend to. But that he would love to meet us some other time.” Kirk replied.

“Do you really think he’s training to be part of the FBI?” Uhura asked.

“It wouldn’t make much sense for him to lie. Something about him tells me he doesn’t lie all that often.” Chapel reflected. 

“It’s like pulling teeth. Whenever I ask him something he doesn’t wanna answer, he balks until I change the subject.” Kirk said. 

“Hmmph, someone should press him more, then.” Bones said. 

“Bones.” Kirk said.

“Jim.” Bones said.

“C’mon you guys. I’ve never seen you both at such odds over something before.” Uhura said, sitting up. 

“We aren’t at odds about anything.” Kirk said, lost. 

“Yes you are. You’re constantly bickering over Spock. And frankly it’s getting exhausting to hear.” Uhura continued, crossing her arms and glaring at the two of them in turn. “Out with it, then.”

“I don’t trust this Spock character. You have ice cream with him once and suddenly you’re texting him of all hours of the night. If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought you had a thing for him.” Bones said, looking at Kirk as he spoke. 

“There’s nothing going on between us. He’s just interesting, that’s all.” Kirk said defensively. To everyone’s credit, they didn’t call Kirk on his bluff. 

“Anyways. The guy is just shifty, Jim. And I know you’re all about seeing the good in people, but when I asked him last week where he’s from, he dodged the question until he turned to you and demanded to know why I wanted so much confidential information about him. It’s like he’s never heard of small talk before!” Bones said. 

“I don’t know, McCoy. People are just peculiar about some things. You never told me about Johanna until she was practically on our doorstep for Christmas.” Kirk fired back, brushing the leaf crumbs from his pants. 

“That’s different. We had hardly known each other then.” Bones huffed.

“Then you just don’t know Spock enough..” Kirk said shortly, rising to his feet. 

“Can you tell me one single thing about Spock outside of the fact that he’s lived abroad and that he’s training to be an FBI agent?” Bones asked. 

Kirk opened his mouth to say something, but found himself without anything to say in return. Sure, they had talked for hours on end. But it had been about what Kirk liked reading, what Kirk did in his pastime, how Kirk felt about the recent NASA mission statement on how refueling the space station went. But absolutely nothing about Spock, outside of how he felt that day, which was always a curt ‘I am well’, or a short clipped detailing of his work in the FBI from the week apart. Nothing but useless information. 

“I can’t.” Kirk admitted.

“See? He’s shifty and this just goes to prove that I’m right.” Bones said, looking smug. 

“It doesn’t matter, Bones. We’re his only friends.” Kirk said, suddenly feeling tired. 

“Perhaps we can ask Spock to share some things about himself, with the reasoning that we feel uncomfortable in his presence.” Chekov piped up from his spot beside Chapel. They all turned to him, having forgotten that he had been there. “It’s just a suggestion, and as you said Kirk, if we’re his only friends, he wouldn’t want to lose us.” 

“That might make him uncomfortable though. Maybe if it’s McCoy and Kirk, that way McCoy knows Kirk isn’t lying, and if Spock is comfortable around anyone, it’s those two.” Chapel said. 

“That suits me just fine. Jim?” Bones asked.

“Fine, fine. I’ll text Spock tonight and find out what day works best for him.” Kirk said dryly. “Now I really have to go, my shift starts in about an hour.” With that he left his friends standing around the park bench, placing bets on whether or not Spock would open up about himself or not. 

 

The place that Bones decided was the best for a heart to heart was a frozen yogurt shop. Kirk had tried to drag his feet the entire time, but that had only left Spock confused and Bones looking irritated. So now they were sitting around a low to the ground bright fuschia pink table in vibrant green chairs that made them hunch over just so they could eat.

“So! Spock, tell me about yourself.” Bones began, winking at Kirk as he did so. 

“In which would you prefer to learn about me, Doctor?” Spock asked, taking a small bite. 

“Oh, anything, anything at all. Family, girlfriends, boyfriends, where you’re from, you know, just small stuff.” Bones said breezily.

“Bones-” Kirk began, sitting up in his chair a little. 

“It’s alright, Kirk. I do not enjoy disclosing information about myself, Doctor McCoy. Where I am from, it is highly unusual for one to be so open about personal information such as you are used to.” Spock said.

“Well, that’s j-” Bones began, but stopped as Spock held up a hand.

“I am aware that your lack of knowledge about my personal life makes you uncomfortable. Kirk told me as such. Therefore I will tell you a little bit about my family, as it suits you.” Spock said, setting the spoon down. 

“My father does not agree with my occupation in life, nor with the location that I moved to. Because of this we do not get along very well.” Spock said, and a moment later picked up his spoon, calling an end to the conversation at hand.

“That’s tough, Spock. I’m sorry.” Bones said, throwing Kirk a look that clearly said ‘I was a dick and I deserve this’. Kirk, much to his credit, decided not to rub it in. 

“Why are you apologetic? It is simply the truth.” Spock said, quirking his eyebrow up. “Unless you did not wish to know about me in such a personal manner?” 

“I think Bones has bitten off more than he can chew, is all.” Kirk said lightly, taking another bite of frozen yogurt. 

“I do not understand-” Spock began. 

“It’s just a nice way of saying that I was being a jerk to you, Spock. I shouldn’t of pressed you so hard about your past.” Bones said. 

“There is still no reason. You acted in interest of the ‘crew’ and asked me accordingly. There is no harm in being curious about a new member, especially if there is nothing to know about them.” Spock said.

Kirk watched the two of them, afraid to voice his thoughts aloud that perhaps Bones and Spock agreed on something for the first time ever. Kirk cleared his throat.   
“So, what now?” Kirk asked.

“Have you ever been lazer tagging, Mr. Spock?” Bones asked.

“I’m afraid I have not, Doctor. Is it a pastime that you enjoy partaking in?” Spock responded.

“Oh, you betcha.” Bones said, grinning at Kirk brightly.

“Oh, Bones.” Kirk groaned, leaning back in his seat. 

“Don’t ‘Oh Bones’ me, come on now. It’ll be my treat.” Bones was already out of his chair, jacket in hand as he headed towards the trash. 

“Is this a dangerous activity, Kirk?” Spock asked, showing just the faintest hint of fear as he stood up to follow Bones.

“Only with Bones it is.” Kirk responded, getting out of his chair and following Bones out of the shop. 

Together the three fell into step, heading for the nearest laser tag. Bones had an encyclopedic knowledge of all the nearby laser tags within Los Angeles. He was a one man fanatic about the laser tagging world, and Kirk secretly believed that he kept several shops open for the sheer joy of throwing his friends into different environments they had never been in before and try to survive against him.

It was one of Kirk’s favorite things about Bones.

The one he picked was thankfully one that Kirk had been to before, one with a pirate theme. If Kirk remembered correctly, there were gangplanks and a few rafters that no one was supposed to climb technically, but if one of the crew managed to jump onto one, it was game over as they sniped everyone down. It was going to be pure torture for Spock. 

The inside of the shop was slightly musty, mostly because the majority of the people in the place were teenagers. But Bones navigated the crowds with ease, heading right to the cashier, who looked like she hadn’t gotten five hours of sleep in the past few weeks. Kirk lingered in the back with Spock, filling him in quickly on the rules of the game as Bones bought them a round of laser tag. 

“It look’s like we’re going to be on a team together. I take this game very seriously Spock, and if you prove to be not up to par, I will take you out myself.” Bones said dryly. 

“Understood, doctor.” Spock said, a hint of a smile on his face as he glanced at Kirk. Kirk beamed right on back.

“Let’s do this.” Kirk said, taking the lead as their numbers were called. They stepped into the dark room in the back, where they donned vests that winked blue over their heads. Around them the other teenagers chattered away, sometimes glancing at the three adults with curious expressions. One kid from the other team was pointing to Spock and whispering to his friend, clearly sensing that Spock was an absolute rookie. Kirk tried his best to not throw them a dirty look as they waited for the attendant to give them the all clear to step into the laser tag arena. 

“Kirk, you take the lead. I’ll cover for beanie over here. Try to get to the top of the ship and we’ll see if Spock is any good at climbing.” Bones said in a low tone, before pulling away to walk towards the front of the entrance of the blue team. Kirk followed suit, offering Spock an easy smile. Spock only inclined his head carefully to Kirk, eyes roaming the teenagers cautiously. 

“Please step into the arena. In ten seconds the game begins.” The attendant intoned. Kirk brushed past Bones and into the darkened room. The two pirate ships that faced off against each other were coated in fluorescent paint in hues of pinks and greens. A carpeted gangplank was directly to their right, lined in green. On the other side the red team had already dispersed, taking advantage of the barrels scattered around the ground floor to hide behind. The other members of Kirk’s team were likewise getting an early start, darting about and hiding. A few kids chose to climb into the pirate ships, a few martyrs running onto the opposite team’s ship to die over and over again as they were trapped in corners by the opposing team. Teenagers were absolutely relentless. 

“Should we be advancing?” Spock asked.

“No. More fun this way.” Bones responded shortly, just as the gong sounded. The room was filled with the sound of firing guns and the flickering red lights of guns going on and off. Kirk flattened himself against the ground, feeling Bones fall beside him. A moment later Spock was among them.Kirk began the army crawl across the carpet, occasionally firing at any teen that happened to round a barrel and see the three adults as an easy target. Much to the contrary, they were a formidable team. Spock quickly proved himself as an asset as he took out a kid that had thought to sneak up behind them. 

They reached the gangplank and Kirk scrambled to his feet. At a crouch he raced up and into the ship, occasionally swinging his gun in a sweeping motion. He fired at a kid that had fired just a second too late, effectively taking him out for thirty seconds.

“Aw, come on!” He shouted, throwing his arms up into the air and storming off to find someone easier to take on. 

“All’s fair in love and war.” Bones said darkly, and motioned for them to get a move on. Together they surrounded the mast of the pirate ship, and then Kirk and Bones turned to Spock.

“You gotta climb the mast to get to the rafters up there. You gotta move quick, or else a kid might notice and rat us out. We had a buddy once who failed to climb the mast and got us banned for six months. We had a buddy” Bones said, repeating the phrase to drive his point home. Spock, to his credit, nodded solemnly. 

Kirk and Bones each took a stance in front of the mast. Together they kept the hoards of the teenagers at bay, distracting them from their quickly ascending friend behind them. In what appeared to only be seconds, Kirk glanced back to check on Spock’s progress. But he was already swinging into the rafters. 

“Holy-Bones look! He’s in!” Kirk said excitedly, pointing a finger skywards. All they could see was a glimmer of red as Spock methodically fired teen after teen down. Bones and Kirk left Spock to do what he wished, as it was game over the second one of their friends got up into the rafters. 

When the gong sounded and the attendant asked everyone to vacate, many a kid was complaining about hacking from the blue team. 

“It’s not fair! They’ve got literal adults on their team!” One of the kids said, pouting as they stepped out of the laser tag area. Kirk turned back to tell Spock that it was safe to come down, and was startled by him dropping down just before him. 

“Wo-Jeez, Spock, you almost gave me a heart attack there.” Kirk said, grabbing Spock’s shoulder. Spock only glanced to Bones.

“From now on I’m not sharing my tricks with you. You’re too good.” Bones said, smiling. It was a clear mark of approval. 

“It would be pleasure to go up against you, Doctor.” Spock said formerly as they walked down the gangplank.

“Where did you even find this guy, Jim?” Bones asked, laughing at what Spock had said.

“An ice cream parlor, apparently.” Kirk said, unstrapping his vest. Together they hung the vests up and headed back out into the waiting room, where many teens were staring at them distrustfully. 

“Well, I say we head out before the entire place mutinies against us.” Bones said, and together they walked out into the late afternoon.

“Thank you for inviting me along. Perhaps we can do this again?” Spock said to each of them. 

“Hell, let’s aim for every week. I’m getting tired of that damned bar anyways. It’s time the crew let out some pent frustration on each other.” Bones said.

“Careful Bones, I know Christine has some beef with you.” Kirk said.

“Let her try and take me out.” Bones responded gravely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for your kind words and staying with the story!


	4. Chapter 4

September came about and left in a sleepy fashion, barely noticed by anyone as they focused on their individual studies. Chekov had began working on his first paper that would be published later on in the year, and therefore had become a bit of a recluse in his apartment. Scotty was in a similar boat, and if it weren’t for Bones, neither of them would’ve probably seen the light of day for the entire month. Uhura and Chapel had adopted a little cat aptly named Tribble, who would turn out to be pregnant with a litter of four. And Kirk had returned to his physics courses with reckless abandon, motivated by a good summer to accept any challenge that came his way over the next year of college. And Spock, well, he was still training to be an FBI agent, and that suited everyone just fine to know just that. 

But one of the hard things about fall was that it made certain people restless, and Kirk was one of them. Even with his side job as a waiter, and the occasional dog walking, he had grown restless in the same day to day routine. So it was only natural that he change it by calling Spock one rainy Tuesday evening after class got out.

“Hey, Spock.” Kirk greeted at once the phone was picked up.

“Jim, it’s nice of you to call.” Spock replied, a terrible clattering in the background nearly drowning out his voice.

“Hey, what’re you doing over there? Is it a top secret agent FBI thing?” Kirk asked, startled to hear something that sounded eerily like it was going up in flames. 

“No, I am...trying to cook.” Spock said, a hint of exasperation in his tone. “It isn’t going very well, I’m afraid.”

“I can bring takeout over, then.” Kirk said, “do you like chinese?” 

“Yes. I will text you my address.” Spock hung up without saying goodbye, something that Kirk would need to work on with him. Kirk didn’t know what kind of country he was from that didn’t use farewells as a normal part of their conversations, but he was sure if he asked Uhura, she would definitely know. 

It had turned into a bit of a bet among the crew to discover what kind of country Spock was from. There was a running pool that had all sorts of countries on it, and the leading decision of the week was currently Finland. Although Uhura had decidedly dropped out of the pool, after hearing Spock utter a word that none of them had ever heard before. Uhura had told them in a hushed tone that she was fluent in seven languages, passable in four others, and none of them even came close to whatever he had said. 

Chekov thought he was an alien. But they discredited him because he was on an X-files kick. Besides, that would just be ridiculous.

Kirk ordered from his favorite takeout place, just in time as Spock sent him his address. He entered it into his gps before heading down towards the chinese restaurant. He was pleased to see that they only lived a few blocks away from each other, making it all that much easier for him to visit Spock again. Well, that’s what he hoped would happen. Kirk had found himself dreading the moment that Spock would decide that maybe it was too much trouble to know him and the rest of them.   
Not that he blamed him, Chekov had recently been harping after Spock over the concept of warp drive, which made Spock grow so uncomfortable that he frequently turned to Kirk or even Bones to change the subject. That part still lost Kirk, as it was just a pet project for Chekov that probably wouldn’t even get off the ground realistically. There was no harm in humoring the fifteen year old, even if his dreams were far-fetched. 

Kirk picked up the takeout on his way, chatting with the cashier for a little bit about her son, who was now entering preschool. It was odd to see the people of Los Angeles change as Kirk went through his years of college, as three years did not feel all that long at all. He wondered if Spock felt overwhelmed by his first few months at the city, and if he would even notice how settled in he would become if he stayed. 

He took the steps of Spock’s apartment complex two at a time, all the way up to the sixth floor. The halls smelled faintly of cat pee and stale socks, both things that Kirk would never accredit to Spock in any sort of situation. He came to the room 612 and knocked, smelling something that had definitely been burning before. He heard feet coming towards the door and the unhooking of a chain before Spock opened the door. 

He was still wearing his beanie, but was not wearing near as many layers as he normally did. As Kirk stepped into the apartment, he figured out why. The heat was cranked up to full blast, and as Kirk set the takeout bags on the kitchen counter, he was already shrugging out of the coat that Spock had given him. He had still not given it back to Spock, and he had never asked for it back as of yet, so Kirk figured that it was probably okay for him to hold onto it. 

“What did you burn?” Kirk asked, setting the coat on the back of the chair. He noticed a pot in the sink, and a fresh garbage bag in the trash can. 

“I attempted to make spaghetti. The noodles caught on fire.” Spock said, taking the cartons out of the plastic bag. 

“You caught noodles on fire? How?” Kirk asked, staring at Spock for a moment. When he was not forthcoming with any information, Kirk turned away to hide his smile. Who knew that Spock was a terrible cook?

“Thank you for providing food for us both.” Spock said, taking one of the cartons and a fork before going to sit on the couch. Kirk glanced around, noticing just how meticulously clean everything was. There were some library books on the table along with a computer, and an odd looking gun that Kirk decided he was definitely not going to mess with given the chance. In fact, it looked more like a raygun than anything else. Nope. He wasn’t going to mess with Spock’s stuff. No way, no how. 

“Aw, it’s no problem. I wasn’t doing anything else anyway.” Kirk responded, grabbing his own takeout and going to sit on the couch adjacent to Spock. He kicked off his shoes and sat cross-legged across from Spock before taking a bite of food. 

“Highly doubtful. You have rigorous coursework that shouldn’t be ignored.” Spock replied. 

“Pssaw, it’s not all that difficult.” Kirk said offhandedly, although he glowed with a secret pride at Spock’s praise. “Besides, aren’t you supposed to be bogged down with all this FBI agent in training stuff anyway?’

“It is easier than you would think.” Spock replied, after a moment. 

“Right, right. We can’t all be geniuses like you and Chekov.” Kirk replied, smiling at Spock.

“And what makes you think you are not of equal genius yourself?” Spock asked. 

“I get the feeling you believe in me more than I do myself.” Kirk replied.

“And if I do?” He asked.

“That would make you one of my closest friends.” Kirk said, keeping eye contact with Spock for a few seconds before dropping his gaze. 

“Did you ever want to be an astronaut when you were a kid, Spock?” Kirk asked, twisting his fork up in the noodles in his carton.

“I have always wanted to know more about the cosmos.” Spock said. “I am inclined to desire all there is to know, and space is the finality of knowledge.” 

“Space is the final frontier.” Kirk mused to himself for a moment. “I mean, it makes sense after all. Humans have a knack for curiosity, and we already pretty much know all there is to know about Earth. It’s about time we turned our gaze skyward.” 

“I do think y-we have been gazing skyward for our entire time we learned about the Earth.” Spock said. 

“Spock, why do you always start to speak of the human race like you are not part of it?” Kirk asked, setting the fork down. He knew this was dangerous ground, from the way Spock reacted by freezing. They sat in silence in what appeared to be forever, a pained expression crossing over Spock’s features momentarily. 

“I’m afraid I cannot answer that, Jim.” Spock said. 

“Is it like some sort of weird ego thing, that you think of yourself better than the rest of us?” Kirk pressed. 

“No, that is not the truth.” Spock said, reaching up as if he were about to take off his beanie. Instead he lowered his hand once more.

“Then what is the truth, Spock? I don’t need to know everything about you, but if you could just name the continent you were born on, that would help.” Kirk said. 

“I cannot lie, Jim. But...you will learn the truth in due time.” Spock replied, clearly torn on something.

“Do you promise?” Kirk asked.

“I promise.” Spock replied, continuing to eat his food.

“Thank you.” Kirk said. 

They were quiet for awhile, thinking on things that neither could even to guess about the other. Eventually Kirk cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck as he did. 

“I’m sorry I ruined the mood of the evening. It’s just that I really do like you Spock, and I want to get to know you better.” Kirk said.

“I do believe the common human expression to that would be ‘yolo’, as Chekov has referred.” Spock said. Kirk grinned, happy to see that Spock was letting down one of his defenses. So what if he was a little odd, and thought he was different from everyone else. Maybe Spock was just going through a phase. 

“Speaking of Chekov, did you know he thinks you’re an alien?” Kirk said casually, taking a big bite of food so he wouldn’t be able to keep rambling on. Spock gagged on his food, and thumped his chest for a second before swallowing. 

“I-Chekov is a very imaginative individual.” Spock said at last, eyes watering from choking on his food.

“I’d say.” Kirk replied. 

“And where would he of thought to get this information?” Spock asked. 

“Oh, it’s from this x-files show. One of the characters is all about finding aliens, while his partner Scully doesn’t believe a word he says.” Kirk responded, unfolding his legs and resting them out on the couch, pressing them against Spock’s side. Spock didn’t shift away, only continued to eat thoughtfully. 

“And which of these characters do you think is most correct?” Spock asked. 

“Scully. Okay, Mulder. It would be the coolest thing ever if there were actual aliens.” Kirk replied, setting his container on the floor. “It most likely won’t happen in my lifetime, the first contact between humans and aliens.” Spock raised an eyebrow slightly, studying Kirk for a minute.

“There are many conspiracy theories that there has been previous contact with aliens. How do you feel about those?” Spock asked. 

“I think that man likes to find what he’s searching for, even with the most unlikely evidence.” Kirk answered, watching Spock. “What about you?”

“There is a possibility of alien visitors on Earth.” Spock replied with a hint of a smile. 

“I feel like you know more than you’re letting on, Mister FBI agent in training.” Kirk replied, kicking Spock’s side lightly. 

“What would make you think of that?” Spock asked, and if Kirk didn’t know better, he could’ve sworn that Spock was messing with him. 

“Just a hunch.” He responded. 

“D’you have a favorite style of music?” Kirk asked. 

“I have listened to Taylor Swift. I find her music quite fascinating.” Spock responded. Kirk made a face.

“Oh no, Taylor Swift is not the epitome of music. Hang on.” He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his music library, ignoring the irony that was the entire discography of Taylor Swift that he had in his possession. 

“Whatever you are about to show me certainly will not live up to Taylor Swift’s creative genius.” Spock warned, and Kirk jabbed him in the side with his foot once again. 

“Quiet, you.” He finally settled on a song, and perched on on the edge of the top of the couch. He hopped to his feet just as Mardy Bum began to play. He twisted his hips and spread his arms out, dancing terribly around Spock’s coffee table. He glanced at Spock, who was watching him closely. Kirk grinned brightly at him, doing The John Travolta dance move that would’ve made anyone else burst out laughing. But to Spock’s immense credit, he didn’t. 

“Come on, Spock. Do you dance?” Kirk asked, doing a poor imitation of toprocking. He accidentally slammed his shin into the coffee table and howled in pain, clutching his leg as he hopped on one foot.

“Perhaps it would be beneficial to move the coffee table out of the way first.” Spock suggested.

“Smartass.” Kirk grumbled, and pulled the coffee table out of the way. “Let me teach you some dance moves Spocko, that way you’ll be the coolest guy on the block.” He held out his hand to Spock, who hesitated for a moment before grabbing Kirk’s wrist before allowing him to pull him to his feet.

“Could we dance to something a little different? Such as Taylor Swift’s style?” Spock asked.

“You’re not a fan of the Arctic Monkeys? I’m wounded. Truly, I am.” Kirk said, pretending to be hurt as he picked up his phone. He switched it to YMCA, deciding that a classic would be best for Spock to learn first.

“Okay so this one, it’s a lot of arm movements. You gotta get into the primal aspect of yourself, where you form the shape of the letters as they sing it out.” Kirk said deadpan, trying not to laugh as Spock took him so seriously. He backed off a few feet from spock and nodded to him, before jumping into the Y of the song.

Spock was taking it too seriously. Way too seriously. Along with his straight edged movement and somber expression, Kirk was in stitches as he tried to do the arm movements along with Spock.

“I do not understand, Jim. I am doing the arm movements appropriately. What is so funny?” He asked, lowering his arms. Kirk was clutching his stomach, trying to catch his breath.

“Oh, my god. If only Bones could’ve seen that.” Kirk wiped away a tear and took a deep breath. “Okay, okay. You’re ready for something more difficult.” 

He snatched his phone up once more and scrolled through his phone, deciding between several songs before settling on the time warp. “Just listen to the lyrics, they’ll teach you the moves.” 

The time warp proved to be as disastrous as the last. Spock did not know the meaning of ‘pelvic thrust’. In fact, he looked quite flustered as he tried to stay apace with Kirk. To Kirk’s credit, he didn’t dissolve into laughter like the last time, and instead collapsed onto the couch to catch his breath.

“See, there’s much better music than Taylor Swift that you can actually dance to.” Kirk said. 

“I concur, Jim. But it was nice to dance.” Spock said, sitting primly on the couch beside Kirk. 

“Don’t think that’s all there is too dancing. Really, I’m letting you off easy.” Kirk replied, running a hand through his hair to keep it off of his forehead. 

“I would enjoy another session of dancing with you, Kirk.” Spock said, apparently remembering his manners once they had stopped goofing around, if it could be called that. 

“Aw, it’s a date.” Kirk said, and winked at Spock for extra effect. Spock just gazed at him patiently. Well, it was worth a shot. 

“I should be getting back soon, it’s getting late and I have class in the morning.” Kirk said, getting to his feet. He pocketed his phone and walked towards the front door, Spock following him out. 

“Hey, next time you invite me over, make sure to keep your sci-fi weapons hidden.” Kirk said lightly, and clapped Spock on the shoulder. “See you tomorrow?” 

“See you tomorrow, Kirk.” Spock replied, “and please refrain from telling anyone about what we have spoken about.”

“Of course. You’re my friend.” Kirk said. They stood together in the doorway for a moment, before Kirk turned and headed down the hallway. He heard the door shut softly behind him, and finally he allowed the smile he had been keeping under wraps free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for sticking with the story, I absolutely adore writing it!


	5. Chapter 5

Kirk was mourning the fact that he had left Spock’s jacket at Spock’s place. It had been incredibly warm, and he didn’t suspect he would ever have a chance to steal it back from Spock ever again. Which was a shame. They didn’t get the chance to hang out again in the following few weeks, as Spock had gotten his first serious mission from the FBI, and his work had been taking him away from the group. But he would be back for the Halloween party, and that was the most important part all things considered.

Speaking of, Kirk had to figure out what he wanted to be for Halloween. Bones was going as a skeleton for the fourth year in a row, so he was going to be absolutely no help whatsoever. Uhura and Chapel were definitely going to go as a couple costume. He wasn’t even sure if Scotty and Chekov would even be there, but if they were, there was no way they were going to help him out. 

Which left Spock. Except Kirk didn’t even know if Spock dressed up for Halloween. It appeared that Spock had lived under a rock for the entirety of his life with overly conservative parents, and now he was finally breaking free and learning about the world. Which meant that Kirk had a responsibility, an obligation, to help Spock discover the world that he was missing out one. Kirk really hoped Spock didn’t mind wearing a werewolf suit. So, he decided to call him up. 

“Say, Spock, do you know what day it is?” He asked. 

“October 31st, apparently a day of celebration.” Spock answered, unphased at this point by answering a question about his knowledge on pop culture.

“Aaand do you know what people do to celebrate?” Kirk continued.

“They do sometimes dress up, but I thought that was originally a practice for children only.” He replied, deadpan as always.

“Not really, buddy. In college there are no rules. Wanna dress up with me at the Halloween party tonight?” He asked. 

“I do not have a costume.” He replied. 

“That’s okay! I don’t have one either. Let’s meet up at a Halloween store in half an hour, somewhere has to be open.” Kirk said. 

Half an hour later, they did manage to find one of the few Halloween stores that were still open, and more importantly, still in stock with all the kinds of things that Kirk was searching for. The place was an absolute disaster with children running amok and stressed out parents chasing down toddlers half dressed as little Buzz Lightyears and Elsas. In Kirk’s opinion, the holiday season was the best time to shop for things last minute. Bones heavily concurred. And so did Spock, apparently. 

“Should we of planned this at an earlier time?” Spock asked, glancing around nervously as a child darted close to him. A harried parent bumped into Spock as they chased their gremlin down. 

“Aw, don’t be like Bones. He’s always about planning things out beforehand too.” Kirk said brightly, heading right for the back of the store where the adult section was. He found the werewolf costumes and bypassed all the passably decent ones. That wasn’t the joy about finding a costume, it was finding the strangest, the most eccentric, and finally he found the perfect one. It was a sleeveless number with shreds in the costume, where fake fur poked through. For the head it was just a hood like those on hoodies, the only difference being that it had ears. Kirk turned to Spock.

“No.” Spock said. 

“Yes.” Kirk said. 

Spock took the plastic bag and disappeared into a nearby changing station. Kirk pretended to browse around, but really he was too giddy to pay too much attention to anything. He glanced up just as Spock stepped out of the changing room. 

Okay, well. He didn’t expect Spock to be so ripped. In fact, it took away from the hilarity of the costume and what it was supposed to be. 

“Is this acceptable uniform for celebration?” Spock asked, a slight tinge of green on his cheeks as he studied Kirk for a reaction. 

“Uhm. Well, yeah. If you wanna wear it, I mean.” Kirk said offhandedly. He turned to look at the vampire costumes. 

“Is there something the matter, Jim?” Spock asked, walking over to him. 

“I didn’t expect you to be so ripped, is all.” Kirk replied, focusing very closely on two very nearly identical vampire costumes. The only difference was that one had red trim on the cape, while the other one had purple. 

“I am a trainee in the FBI, it would be standard for me to be ‘ripped’ as you would say.” Spock said. 

“Yeah, that’s true.” Kirk admitted, frowning slightly as he decided on the red trim. Purple was too modern. “Have you seen any vampire teeth around here?”   
Just by the changing area.” Spock said, giving Kirk an odd look before going back to change. Kirk picked out a pair that weren’t too entirely atrocious, but were also atrocious enough to draw attention. He wandered over to the checkout and waited for Spock to come out of the changing room. 

“Hey, last minute shopping?” The girl behind the counter asked, looking Kirk up and down as she took his vampire costume from him. 

“Oh, yeah. I’ve been so busy with university that I forgot about the whole Halloween thing.” Kirk said smoothly, leaning on the counter. 

“Oh, what are you studying?” She asked, ringing up his items. 

“I’m majoring in astrophysics.” Kirk replied, craning his head back to see if Spock was showing up or not. 

“Sounds fun. I’m just settling on molecular biology.” The girl continued, and Kirk turned back to give her his full attention. 

“Carol isn’t a name you see a lot these days anymore.” He commented, reading her nametag. 

“And what makes yours so average?” Carol shot back, giving him a look. 

“James is pretty ordinary.” Kirk said shortly, and waved at Spock the moment he appeared. 

“This is my friend, Spock. Spock, Carol. Carol, Spock.” Kirk said as Spock set the werewolf costume on the counter. Spock didn’t even so much as glance at Carol before turning to Kirk. 

“I got a message from doctor McCoy requesting alcohol and candy for tonight.” Spock said.

“Pleasant company you keep.” Carol grumbled, ringing up the werewolf costume and dropping it into a bag. 

“He’s actually a very nice person to be around.” Kirk replied, leaning across the counter and grabbing a notepad. He scribbled his address onto it, before sliding it back across to her. “If you get off early, don’t be afraid to stop by, I’ll be having a Halloween party.” Kirk said, taking the bag from her. 

“I’ll think about it.” Carol replied haughtily, although she still folded up the piece of paper all the same and slipped it into her pocket. 

“Let’s go, Spock.” Kirk said brightly, leading the way out of the shop. 

“I do not understand why you gave her your contact information. She clearly was not interested in you, Kirk.” Spock said, following Kirk. 

“Mmhm, but she seemed lonely, and who am I to turn someone away from a good time?” Kirk asked, turning left and continuing on down the street. He figured they would come across a supermarket eventually that would cater to both beer and candy. 

“I do not like her.” Spock said, burying his hands into his pockets as they stepped into a supermarket. 

“Feeling jealous, Spock?” Kirk said lightly, missing Spock’s blush as he headed right for the candy aisle. 

“So when we had ice cream that time, are you allergic to dairy or what?” Kirk asked, picking up a package of twizzlers. 

“The chocolate gives me an intoxicated effect.” Spock responded. ‘It’s a genetic disorder never seen before in humans.” 

“Hmm.” Kirk hummed, grabbing a package of dove chocolates. He pictured a four year old Spock in a beanie drunk as hell with chocolate cake smeared all over the place. He stifled a laugh and handed the package to Spock. 

“Well, if everyone else is going to get truly smashed, I can’t say I’m going to allow you to be the sober one out.” Kirk said, passing by him to the beer section. 

“Is that a wise decision?” Spock said, following half a pace behind. 

“Yeah, yeah. Bones and I won't let anyone leave, and besides we have enough blankets and pillows to work around it.” Kirk said, not even entertaining Spock’s worries for a second. He grabbed a case of beer as well as a bottle of vodka. He stopped by to grab orange juice before heading over to the cashier.

“Are you excited?” Kirk asked as they waited in line.

“I look forward to celebrating with my friends, yes.” Spock allowed, tilting his head to Kirk. 

“Good enough for me.” Kirk said. They paid for the groceries and headed on their way out, unanimously deciding to just walk to Bones’ and Kirk’s apartment instead of taking a taxi. Around them children ran with plastic jack-o-lanterns swinging against their knees, parents following behind holding eachother's hands. Kirk had to dodge a trio of Star Wars kids, all decked out as Finn, Rey, and Poe. 

“Trick or treating looks like a fascinating pastime.” Spock commented, following close beside Kirk.

“Maybe you can take the tradition back to your country.” Kirk suggested, stopping at a stop light. They watched the cars pass by together, happy in the silence that they kept together.

“I do not think my country would enjoy the tradition near as much.” Spock said, just as the walking sign flashed above their heads. They started across the street, and as the opposing side began to jostle between Kirk and Spock, Kirk reached out and grabbed ahold of Spock’s jacket sleeve, holding on tight as they passed. 

“They don’t sound like much fun to me.” Kirk pointed out, letting go of Spock’s sleeve as they got to the sidewalk once more. 

“Not really.” Spock admitted, and Kirk laughed. It was the first time that Kirk had ever heard Spock say something in disagreement to something else. They went up into Kirk’s apartment, once more skipping the forever slowed down elevator and up the endless flight of stairs to the floor. Bones had decked the apartment door out with orange and black streamers, the door already opened to anyone who might’ve wished to stop in unannounced. Bones always went on about how Kirk was too trusting, but Bones was almost just as bad. 

Kirk brushed the streamers aside and stepped into the apartment, spotting the familiar old fake spider webs in the corners and the cheesy jack-o-lantern sitting on the dinged up kitchen table. He waved to Bones, who was wearing an all black jumpsuit with anatomically correct felt bones sewn onto the front and back. It was one of the only times Bones had brought out his sewing kit, and that had been four years ago. 

“Hey, Jim! Set the stuff in the kitchen. It’s good to see you Spock. Are you both getting changed or what?” Bones asked, standing on his tiptoes as he hung even more spider webs from the ceiling. 

“Where might I be able to get changed?” Spock asked in way of answer to Bones’ question. He had reached up to touch the fake spider web, confusion clear on his face as he pulled gently on the stretched out cotton. 

“In Kirk’s room, if he’s even cleaned up any.” Bones answered, pointing to Kirk’s door that had several glow in the dark stars plastered to the front. Spock picked up the werewolf costume from the stuff Kirk was unpacking and headed into Kirk’s room.

“My place is very clean.” Kirk told Bones, feeling hurt that Bones would just throw him under the bus like that. 

“Tell that to the rat we had a month back.” Bones shot back. They both shuddered, remembering the nightmare that it was to try and catch the devilish thing. Kirk had wanted to be humane and let it out on the streets, while Bones just wanted to use an old fashioned rat trap. After that, they had kept their apartment meticulously clean in the light of finding the rat dead under a pile of clothes a few days afterwards. 

“We don’t talk about that.” Kirk said, shaking his head. He put the vodka in the freezer and the rest of the drinks in the fridge, before picking up his vampire costume.   
“Going traditional this year?” Bones asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“I figured going as a sexy little red riding hood would confuse Spock even more. I don’t think he knows what Halloween even is, so I figured I could get away with being tame.” Kirk replied. 

“You might confuse him in more ways than one.” Bones grumbled, snatching up the chocolates and pouring them into a bright purple bowl. Kirk elected to ignore that. 

“Looking good, Spock.” Kirk said, throwing him a thumbs up as Spock stepped out into the apartment. Bones snorted loudly, turning away from the sight of Spock. Kirk grabbed his own costume from Bones and headed towards his room.

“Make yourself at home. Chocolate is in the purple bowl.” Kirk said, winking at Spock as he passed him and into his room. He shut the door gently behind him, and began to strip, noting that Spock had neatly set his clothes on the foot of Kirk’s unmade bed. He pulled on the vampire clothes, humming to himself as he hurried to get dressed. Outside his door he heard the voices of Uhura and Chapel as they arrived. He tied the cape around his neck and paused to look in the mirror in his room, throwing the cape in front of him dramatically. He was looking good.

Kirk stepped back out of the room and waved to Uhura and Chapel. Uhura was dressed all in red, hair natural as she sat beside Chapel all in blue on the couch. It took Kirk a moment, but he recognized that they were Ruby and Sapphire. He beamed at them, glad to see them in such high spirits. 

“Sorry we were so late, Tribble and her kittens spilled a bunch of water on top of Nyota’s notes and we had to try and salvage them.” Chapel explained, giving Kirk and Bones an apologetic smile. 

“Cats are always trouble.” Bones said, shaking his head. “I don’t trust anything mammal that isn’t loyal to me first and themselves second.” 

“Aw, they’re not all that bad.” Uhura said, automatically coming to Tribble’s defense. Bones rolled his eyes. 

“It’s nice to see you out of a beanie by the way Spock. Did Jim force you into that costume?” Chapel asked. Spock took a moment to finish chewing on the chocolate he was eating, a wrapper carefully unfolded on the table beside him. 

“I suppose he did.” Spock said finally, reaching up and tugging on the ear of the werewolf costume. 

“Nuh uh. You had every chance to back out of it.” Kirk said, crossing the room. He unpacked his vampire teeth and shoved the unyielding plastic in his mouth. Once it was settled on his teeth, he grinned at Spock. 

“I vant to suck your blood.” He said, raising his arms and advancing on Spock. 

“I would prefer that you didn’t.” Spock said smoothly, and placed a chocolate into Kirk’s palm.

“Chocolate’s just as good.” Kirk said, moving to stand by Spock. He popped the fake teeth out of his mouth and shoved the piece of chocolate in, enjoying the taste. He leaned against the table and listened to the conversations of his friends, soaking in the feeling of belonging. Bones put on a playlist of classic Halloween songs, the first of which was thriller. Kirk elbowed Spock.

“As the resident werewolf, you gotta dance to thriller.” Kirk said.

“I don’t know the moves.” Spock said, a little self conscious. 

“That’s perfectly alright. Hey guys, Spock’s gonna dance with me to thriller. Wanna join in?” He asked. 

“This is something I gotta see.” Bones said, hopping over the back of the couch and landing in a seat. Uhura got up and joined Kirk and Spock, while Chapel laughed and waved them away.

“I’m no good at dancing, but I’ll watch.” Chapel said, accepting a beer from Bones. 

“Okay Spock, just put your arms like this and walk several paces, and then walk back.” Kirk explained, doing the motions. Bones, ever so helpful to Spock’s plight, restarted the song from the beginning.

The result was a catastrophe. For one, the apartment was much too small for three people to be dancing in a uniform line, and therefore they kept on bumping into each other. Secondly, Kirk’s cape was ridiculously long, and Uhura kept accidentally stepping on it, effectively choking Kirk. But, to Spock’s credit, he kept on dancing even when Kirk had doubled over from a particularly rough yank of his cape. 

“Okay, okay. I’m done.” Kirk gasped, rubbing his neck. He sat between Bones and Chapel, while Uhura perched on the arm of the couch right beside Chapel. 

“I haven’t had enough to drink to consider that choreography any good.” Bones said dryly, sending the group into laughter. 

“Didja guys start without Chekov and me?” Scotty demanded, breaking into the room. He was carrying even more alcohol, along with even more candy. Kirk craned his head back to notice that there was more candy and booze that must’ve come from Chapel and Uhura.

“Did you ask everyone to bring some?” He asked Bones, who only winked at him before he leaped up to hug Scotty. Scotty was dressed as a farmer, which was really odd because farmers and Scotty’s were not things that went well together. Chekov appeared right behind him, grinning from ear to ear. He was dressed as an astronaut, and even had a crudely made helmet under the crook of his elbow.

“Oh no. No no no. Who invited the minor?” Bones demanded, going a little red in the face as he squared off against Chekov. Chekov looked around wildly for a moment before putting on his best puppy eyes. 

“It wont work on me kid, I got a daughter your age.” Bones turned on Scotty, glowering at him. 

“Hey, he’s a college student! I’m sure he cant be responsible without me babysittin’ him.” Scotty said, setting his stuff on the counter. Chekov puffed his chest out once more, accentuating the fact that he was totally not a little kid.

“College kids aren’t even responsible enough for this kind of thing! Chekov, if you so much as take a sip of anything, I’ll ream you out and hang you out to dry.” Bones said threateningly, getting in Chekov’s face before going into the kitchen. 

Chekov sat beside Kirk, sniffling a little.

“It’s okay kid, it means he likes you enough to care about your wellbeing.” Kirk said, patting him on the back. 

“Thank you.” Chekov said, sniffling a little bit.

“Sometimes he’s just too mean. Chekov honey, if you ever want to try out drinking, Christine and I will let you come over and do it in a safe environment.” Uhura said, leaning across Kirk to pat Chekov on the knee companionably. 

“That would be wonderful!” Chekov said, beaming at Uhura. Kirk shook his head. Chekov was playing everyone like a fiddle, and he wasn’t about to ruin Chekov’s grand scheme of getting free booze out of everyone.

The party got underway just as Bones broke out a beer for everyone, excluding Chekov. (He gave him straight orange juice.) Spock ate some more pieces of chocolate, pressing a few chocolates into Kirk’s hand as he went along. Kirk leaned against Spock as he turned to talk to Bones, laughing at something he said, feeling himself settle back against Spock like it was the most natural thing in the world. He turned to Spock, not quite knowing what he intended to do himself when someone cleared their throat quite loudly.

“So, James. This is your Halloween party?” The woman from the Halloween store said. Kirk tore his gaze from Spock and glanced up at Carol, who was dressed in a rather revealing nurse costume. He wondered if Chapel would be offended. 

“You betcha. The guy in the skeleton costume is Bones, and this is still Spocko. The girl in red is Nyota Uhura, and the one in blue is Christine Chapel. Farmer guy is Scotty, and uh, astronaut kid is Chekov.” Kirk said, feeling his words slur a little as he spoke. He tilted his head to the side lazily, taking Carol in. “Say, what’s your last name?” 

“Marcus. I don’t even know why I showed up. Maybe I thought if I did, I’d meet some new people, but everyone’s drunk and they won’t even remember me!” Marcus said, pacing back and forth in front of the couch. 

“Well, you can still get drunk, and that way you wont remember us, and we can start on a fresh page tomorrow over waffle house.” Kirk said, feeling quite clever. 

“No, drinking will not solve this! I-” Marcus stopped midstep, and flung her arms up into the air. “Yknow what? Why the hell not.” She went to the kitchen and opened a beer can, chugging it in one go. 

“I think Marcus should go home.” Spock said grumpily, touching Kirk’s shoulder. Kirk turned back to him, grinning. 

“You are jealous! That’s so cute.” Kirk said, patting Spock’s cheek with his hand. Spock blushed a pretty green. Kirk turned away, accepting that one of his friends turned green as plain fact in his intoxicated state. He accepted the can Marcus handed him, and he tilted his head back to drink it all down. 

After that, things got a little bit blurry, snatches of the night coming in flashes. There was dancing with Marcus, Spock sitting alone on the couch, Chekov taking a sip of his soda while Bones lectured him on proper safety, Scotty falling against the lamp in the room and breaking the lampshade. Uhura and Chapel disappearing into the bathroom, gone for what seemed to be hours. Spock getting up and starting to go and Kirk running after him, cape flapping behind him as he chased Spock down endless flights of stairs. Spilling out into the frigid night air and crashing into Spock, who had his head tilted up into the heavens. 

He remembered Spock holding up his hand in a strange formation, and copying his hand shape albeit clumsily, and pressing their fingers together. The way it felt to stand up on his tiptoes and kiss the startled man, the sensation of reaching up and getting a hand full of synthetic fur and not a beanie. Falling back and laughing, and most strange and wondrous of all, Spock’s laugh as well. The stars blazing high above, pointing a finger into the heavens and whispering “I want go there.” And something that Spock said, in a wildly foreign language that sent chills up Kirk’s spine, the last of the memories of a night gone askew. 

Kirk woke up in his bed alone, with nothing to accompany him but a pounding headache.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last, my favorite chapter is up! (Well, so far c:) Your comments and kudos mean so much to me and I love reading them, thank you so much!


	6. Chapter 6

There were worse things to come back from, and a drunk kiss wasn’t the worst evil of them all. But Kirk still avoided Spock. He told himself that he would call him the next day, and then the next, and then the next. But every time he went to text Spock, there was Uhura calling for him to babysit Tribble and her kittens for a weekend, Marcus texting him to see if he wanted to get drinks later, just the two of them. It just suddenly appeared that Kirk’s schedule was very, very busy, and he had no time to go and settle things between Spock and him. 

That is, of course, until even Bones noticed that Kirk was avoiding Spock. 

“What on Earth happened between you two? I haven’t heard you shut up about him once and suddenly it’s like he’s dead to you.” Bones said, setting a coffee mug down in front of Kirk. Bones was still in his scrubs, just having gotten back from a twelve hour shift. But he still found time to care for Kirk, who wrapped his hands around the mug. 

“Nothing happened, Bones. At least, I don’t think anything happened.” Kirk said, staring into the depths of the coffee. It was a light brown color, probably because Bones had put cream and sugar in it, something he never did for Kirk unless he knew he was really upset about something. 

“Clearly something did. Now you were both drunk at the Halloween party, so whatever happened happened, but it’s not unfixable.” Bones said, sitting across from Kirk. 

“You should get some sleep Bones, I can handle this myself.” Kirk replied, tasting the coffee. It was the perfect amount of sweet. 

“Oh no, you’re not getting out of this one. I’ll stay up all day if it means you’ll just talk to him.” Bones said, and Kirk knew that he meant it. 

“Why do you care so much about what happens between Spock and me?” Kirk asked.

“He’s a good guy, Kirk, and I’ve never seen you so taken with someone before.” Bones said. He stifled a yawn. “It’s your decision Kirk, but I really think you should talk to him again.” 

Bones left Kirk alone in their apartment, going to his room to catch up on sleep. Kirk nursed the cup of coffee until it was bitterly cold, killing time while he decided on what to do. It wasn’t fair of him to be avoiding Spock. With a groan he got out of the chair, deciding that he had moped around long enough. He shuffled into his room and texted Spock, asking him if he wanted to get coffee together. Wasn’t that what he was supposed to do anyway, right? 

To Spock’s credit, he responded right away, accepting Kirk’s proposal for meeting up at a local cafe that was between their two apartments. Kirk grabbed the clothes that Spock had left behind after the party. He placed them in his satchel, and just for the hell of it he picked up Life of Pi, just to give to Spock in case they were able to patch things up.

Kirk dragged his feet the entire way to the cafe, even occasionally stopping to pet a cute dog on the sidewalk. He didn’t know why he was being just so avoidant of Spock. It wasn’t like him to not face his problems head on. When the cafe sign loomed in front of him, he felt his heart in his throat as he mustered up his courage. 

“It’s just Spock.” He told hold himself, taking a deep breath. He walked into the cafe and was assaulted by the smell of rich spices that hung in the dimly lit cafe. The lights were covered in gossamer, and the chairs were those out of a grandmother’s home, high backed and clustered around wrought iron tables. He wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw a fluffy cat disappear under the lace cloth of a table. He searched the place for Spock, but when he found no sign of him, he headed towards a table in the front, lit by the dim light that filtered through the sheer curtains that hung in the windows. He messed with the buckle on the satchel, keeping himself busy with trying not to look busy at all. 

It seemed to take forever until Spock stepped into the shop. Kirk suddenly and resolutely understood the meaning of his heart leaping into his throat. Swallowing hard, he raised his hand in a half wave, gesturing for Spock to come on over. Spock caught sight of him and walked over, hands clasped uncharacteristically behind his back. He nodded to Kirk as he sat down, just as a waitress came up with two menus.

“Feel free to order whenever you’d like!” She said cheerly, wandering back to the cash register. Kirk didn’t even pretend to look at the menu, instead pulling out Spock’s clothes and setting them on top of the table in front of them. 

“Sorry for not getting these back to you sooner, er, I didn’t have the time to contact you for a bit.” Kirk said, glancing at the fancy lettering on the front of the menu. He had no idea what it said, for as soon as he read it, it was gone out of his mind just like that. 

“I think it would be best if we spoke of what we remember that night.” Spock said carefully, placing the clothes neatly in his lap. Kirk glanced up at him, searching Spock’s face for a hint of softness, anything to show that Spock wasn’t cross with him. Frustratingly enough, he found none in his expression. 

“Y-yeah, that would be best.” Kirk replied, wincing a little as he stuttered. He tried to remind himself silently that this was just Spock, but the only answer that came back was that yes, this was Spock, and he mattered very much to Kirk. 

“So I guess you remember the kissing. I’m really sorry about that, sometimes I get really affectionate while drunk.” Kirk said, messing with the lace on the table. 

“I did not mind the kissing, Jim.” Spock said softly. Kirk’s stomach dropped, and he looked up. A delayed moment later he realized that’s exactly what he wanted to hear, and he smiled at Spock. 

“Although it was not fair of me to allow you to make that hand gesture, as you were in no state to understand the ramifications if I had told you.” Spock continued. 

“For that I apologize.”

“Aw, it’s alright. Something from your country, right?” Kirk asked. 

“Yes. And I must decide whether or not it would be against the prime directive for me to continue seeing you, as I am meddling in matters that are not satisfactory for what my job entails.” Spock continued. 

“Prime directive?” Kirk asked.

“A set of rules to prevent people of my country from changing the course of your country’s history. Such as allowing you to see advanced technology, or giving you knowledge about my country.” Spock explained. 

“Oh, well that’s dumb,” Kirk said. 

“It is indeed dumb.” Spock agreed, flipping through the menu. 

“Does this mean we can’t like, be boyfriends or anything?” Kirk asked, resting his chin in his hand. He tried to appear casual as he said it, but he felt like his heart would give out at any moment. 

“I do believe that nothing in the world is single, all things by a law divine in one spirit meet and mingle, Why not I with thine?” Spock said.

“Love’s philosophy, Percy Shelley.” Kirk said, smiling at Spock. 

“Indeed.” He responded, setting the menu down. He reached across the table and set his hand carefully atop Kirk’s hand that remained on the tabletop. 

“In my country’s culture, brushing fingers is a form of kissing.” Spock explained, carefully picking up Kirk’s hand and brushing his index finger and middle finger against Kirk’s. “This is the standard form of such a display.” 

“And what does it mean if we hold hands?” Kirk asked mischievously. Spock blushed and took his hand away.

“Something indecent,” Spock said.

“Does uh, my country’s version of kissing make you uncomfortable, Spock?” Kirk asked.

“It is a different sensation, but I assume it is for you what it is to me when we brush fingers.” Spock said. “Therefore, I am not against such a display of affection if it brings you pleasure.”

“I get the feeling that your country wouldn’t be very happy about us being together.” Kirk said, opening up the menu and glancing through it. This time he couldn’t   
concentrate out of pure giddiness, and set the menu down once more.

“No, if we were to be found out, I would be pulled from this country immediately, and we would never meet again,” Spock said.

“Okay, so like, no official couple stuff that anyone can find out about,” Kirk said. 

“I think our friends would be safe to inform, but no one else,” Spock said, hesitating for only a fraction of a second. 

“Sounds good to me,” Kirk said, and tried for a third time to try and focus on the menu to no avail.

“Should we head out?” They both said at once, and Kirk laughed lightly.

“I can’t concentrate one bit to sit and drink coffee,” Kirk admitted. 

“Nor I,” Spock said. 

Together they got up and handed the menus back to the waitress, apologizing profusely for not ordering anything. As Kirk stepped outside, he found that the day appeared a thousand more times brighter. He glanced at Spock, who was winding a scarf around his neck with practiced movements, and he found that he wouldn’t trade his company for anyone else’s in the entire world. 

“What do you want to do?” Kirk asked.

“Anything with you.” Spock answered. 

“I’m feeling like I could do with some ice cream.” Kirk said, and together they went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this chapter, I'll be back on my regular every two day update as usual! Thank you for reading! <3


	7. Chapter 7

Kirk and Spock’s newfound relationship didn’t seem to phase the group at all. In fact, Bones had turned to Scotty and accepted twenty dollars from him, clearly betting on his own best friend’s love life with little guilt attached. Uhura had made them swear to go out on a double date with her and Chapel, and Kirk had readily agreed. They just had to get through their first date together first.

“So am I supposed to rough him up a bit before you go out with him?” Bones joked, leaning in the doorway of the bathroom as Kirk fretted over the amount of stubble on his face. He wanted to look like he didn’t care about his looks while also looking dashingly handsome at the same time. It was a hard balance to strike.

“No, course not. Like I told you before, it’s the same old Spock we’ve known.” Kirk replied, turning to his friend. He took a deep breath.

“I’ve never seen you more nervous before a date than now, and that’s saying something.” Bones replied, backing out of the doorway and headed out into the living room. 

“Sure you have, Bones. You just don’t remember because I make sure you forget.” Kirk said, grabbing his jacket from the back of the couch. He shrugged into it, just as he heard a knock at the front door. Bones and Kirk glanced at each other for a split second before racing to the door. Bones elbowed Kirk in the ribs, and Kirk fell back, glaring at Bones as he opened the door gleefully.

“Hello, Sp-Carol?” Bones said, turning back to look at Kirk with a confused smile plastered onto his face. Marcus brushed into the living room, looking absolutely livid as she stopped just in front of Kirk.

“Why aren’t you answering any of my texts? Did you think you could just forget about me when I stopped being interesting?” Marcus demanded, glaring up at Kirk.

“No, that’s not what happened at all! I’m sorry I haven’t been talking to you lately, I-” Kirk was distracted by the entrance of Spock with a bouquet of roses in hand, looking dashing in a burgundy cardigan. He winced as Marcus turned around to glare at the new intruder. Whatever her expression held, it made Bones burst into laughter. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were dating Spock?” Marcus hissed, rounding on Kirk once more.

“I- it was a recent development, that’s all!” Kirk said, raising his hands in a gesture of defeat. 

“Well that’s just perfect. Just great. God this is humiliating.” Marcus said, and stormed past Spock and Bones. She rounded the corner and was gone, leaving all three men staring at each other in shock.

“I’m offended that she didn’t think those roses were for me.” Bones said at last, releasing the tension in the room. 

“Would you prefer I bring you a bouquet as well, Doctor McCoy?” Spock asked.

“Hell no, I’m not the type to be wooed.” Bones said flatly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Dramatic women aside, you both should still have a good time.” 

“Are you sure you want to still go Spock? I know what happened wasn’t exactly the best start and-” Kirk rambled, wringing his hands a little as he spoke. 

“Of course I would still wish to go. What Marcus does does not affect my mood about tonight.” Spock said. 

“Okay,” Kirk said. He accepted the roses from Spock, taking a second to take in their aroma before going to the kitchen to find a vase for them. When none were forthcoming, he used a tankard that had shown up from one of their wilder parties. While he filled the tankard with water, Bones and Spock talked quietly in the front room. He set the flowers in the tankard and walked back over, offering an easy smile to Spock. 

“Are you ready?” Spock asked politely. 

“I thought you’d never ask.” Kirk joked, and followed Spock out into the hallway. 

“The two of you are gonna give me a cavity.” Bones grumbled, shutting the door behind them.

“How are we affecting Doctor McCoy’s dental health?” Spock asked.

“It’s a metaphor for how affectionate we’re being, because we’re acting sweet towards each other and it’s too much for Bones.” Kirk explained, walking with him down the hallway. 

“Fascinating.” Spock commented, opening the stairway door for him before following him down the steps. 

“You never did tell me where we were going for this date, yknow.” Kirk pointed out, taking the steps two at a time. 

“Nyota recommended that I should make it a surprise, and therefore not tell you,” Spock said.

“Wait, you went to Nyota for relationship advice?” Kirk asked. 

“Of course. It was only logical that I would ask her or Christine, seeing that they have been in the long term relationship,” Spock said. 

“Well, yeah. I was just surprised you two were that close that you’d go to her for advice is all,” Kirk said. 

“Nyota and I enjoy learning about the languages of the world. It would make sense for us to get along,” Spock said. 

“I’m glad to hear that,” Kirk said. They stepped out into the streets of the city once more. He was tipped off to the fact that the place was not nearby, as Spock hailed a taxi almost immediately. Spock held the door open for Kirk before walking around himself and getting in.

“Where did you learn such good manners?” Kirk teased. In the dimmer interior of the cab, he wasn’t sure but he could almost catch Spock’s blush. Spock leaned forward and informed the taxi driver of their destination in a low, clipped tone, so that Kirk wouldn’t hear. 

“I watched a lot of movies on the subject of courting.” Spock explained to Kirk, sitting back in the seat once more. The taxi pulled into the traffic, and they were underway. 

“Aww, that’s so thoughtful of you.” Kirk said, feeling touched that Spock had gone to such lengths for him. 

“It is only custom for your country, it was the only logical conclusion for me to do my research,” Spock said. 

“Well, it was time well spent,” Kirk said, craning his head to look out the window. He couldn’t exactly figure out where they were going, even though he knew Los Angeles like the back of his hand. 

The drive to the destination took about twenty minutes in all, in which time Spock and Kirk spent their time talking about how their week had been going. Spock’s neighbor had put a birdhouse outside of their apartment, and how he was considering doing the same. It was sharing the small things that brought them together, each marveling in what the other considered important enough to share in the grand scheme of everyday things. 

“It appears that we are here.” Spock said, and Kirk turned his head to take in the Griffith Observatory sign. Kirk reached out and took Spock’s hand, forgetting for a moment the momentum of such a gesture in his excitement. 

“Are we going to see the stars? Do you think we could kill enough time to use their telescopes tonight?” Kirk rambled, turning to back to Spock. Spock smiled softly at him, pulling his hand away only to pay the taxi driver before getting out. 

Kirk, being too impatient to be courted by Spock’s politeness, tumbled out of the car on his own and onto the sun beaten sidewalk of the observatory. There was a definite lack of tourists this time of year, and it appeared that Spock and Kirk would get to have the place to themselves along with the other locals of Los Angeles. He waited just long enough for Spock to reach him before he headed for the planetariums entrance, too excited to wait much longer. 

“Which show are we going to see? If we’re seeing one, which if we aren’t that’s okay but I’ve heard so much about how planetariums are the coolest and-” Kirk rambled all the way through the place, even while Spock was buying tickets to the planetarium. He didn’t quite shut up until they were safely in their seats in the planetarium, and they were gazing up at the blank white screens above. 

“Thank you,” Kirk said at last, remembering his manners. 

“I thought you would enjoy it.” Spock responded, and took Kirk’s hand gently once more. Kirk kissed him on the cheek, and tilted his head upwards. 

The show took them through humanity’s progress on learning of the stars, from the Library of Alexandria to present day. With every passing century, Kirk felt a sense of pride for his placement in humanity. It was a beautiful thing to find a common desire for understanding the stars throughout history, as it told of humanity’s one true destiny. Kirk walked out of the planetarium, feeling a strange lightness in his chest as he waited for his eyes adjust to the sudden brightness of the rest of the building. 

“It is fascinating to see how humanity has progressed as a species alongside with their understanding of the cosmos,” Spock said. 

“I think it’s nice to have a constant in our lives, even if it’s just a temporary one.” Kirk replied, walking into one of the exhibits detailing their solar system. They had about an hour before the sun set, and another thirty minutes before the night sky would be likely suitable to being stargazing. 

“There is comfort knowing that our individual ancestors gazed up into the same sky, foregoing any comet phenomenons or similar temporary solar system events,” Spock said. 

“It feels like we were destined to go out there and discover everything, yknow Spock? Sometimes I feel like I was born too soon, that I’m really missing out on something greater than myself,” Kirk admitted, stopping in front of a diagram of the Earth.

“Time does not dictate what you can and cannot achieve during this time, Jim. The stars will be there tomorrow, even as you doubt,” Spock said. 

“I guess that’s a comfort, at the very least,” Kirk smiled crookedly, “did you know that Jupiter is a failed star? If it had managed to ignite, the solar system would’ve been a binary solar system.” 

“If Jupiter had ignited, there would be next to no chance of life on Earth,” Spock said. 

“Two stars are better than one,” Kirk replied, studying the diagram of Jupiter before him. 

“And what makes you assume that?” Spock asked, putting his hands behind his back as he gazed at the gas planet. 

“I get the feeling that the sun is a very lonely thing,” Kirk replied, moving on to the next planet. 

“The sun is incapable of feeling emotion, Jim,” Spock said, following Kirk.

“No, it doesn’t. But humanity has given it a friendly face, a history that has grown up alongside us,” Kirk replied, turning to Spock. 

“I do not understand,” He said.

“In human mythology, in differing cultures, the sun has been labelled as a god, something just outside of human folly, but still attainable depending on the myth. Ra, Apollo, Shamash, all human personifications of the sun,” 

“It’s human nature to take unknowable things and make them human, to give them our emotions, our trials and our tribulations. And that’s why I see the sun as a lonely planet,” Kirk said.

“I see,” Spock said, but Kirk had the feeling that he did not. 

“Jupiter is a potential star that was wasted because it didn’t have the proper environment to be born into it’s true form,” Kirk said, sitting on a bench just outside of the exhibit on the solar system. Spock sat beside him, quiet for a few minutes.

“But it is still something, Jim. Jupiter has it’s own share of gods, humanized just as the sun had been. The red spot had puzzled scientists for generations, giving humanity a reason to improve their telescopes, their space probes to better understand the gas planet. It has driven humanity into the stars in it’s own way,” Spock said. 

“You’re right, I shouldn’t be weighing the pros and cons of stars and gas planets with you.” Kirk said light-heartedly, elbowing Spock as he said so. 

“I enjoy these conversations,” Spock said in his defense. 

“Come on, there’s a section on constellations. Let’s see if you know your stars too,” Kirk said. Together they got back to their feet and headed on to the next exhibit. They spent their time wandering from exhibit to exhibit, Kirk teaching Spock about the history of each constellation, Spock explaining the scientific names of the stars and what planets existed around them. And if Spock let slip a little extra information about one solar system or another, Kirk was none the wiser. 

The sun set in an array of pinks and purples, painting the sky as Kirk and Spock made their way outside to claim a telescope for themselves. The stars blinked awake in the heavens, winking down on the two of them as they settled themselves against the railing surrounding the arid landscape of the city. 

“I think it would be best that we grabbed a portable telescope, the line seems too long for the others.” Spock suggested. They received a portable telescope from one of the workers and set it out on the lawn of the observatory, spending some time setting it up as one of the legs got jammed unfolding. At last it was set up, and Spock leaned down to focus the telescope on a distant, unremarkable star in the distance. 

As Kirk leaned down to gaze through the telescope at the star, Spock began to talk. 

“Sixteen light years away is the star system that holds the planet Vulcan. That star is my solar system,” Spock said. Kirk straightened up, turning to Spock in shock. For a second he almost gave way to laughter, taking it for a joke. But Spock’s solemn expression prevented him from doing so.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Kirk asked. Spock reached up and pulled off his beanie, revealing the pointed ears on his head. 

“My blood is also green compared to your red. That is why I blush green at times around you.” Spock said levelly, holding the beanie between his hands. 

“Oh my god. You’re an alien.” Kirk whispered in awe. He reached up gently and touched a pointed tip, running his fingers over the ear to check for some seam, in case that it was prosthetic and Spock was messing with him. 

“They are real,” Spock said patiently. Kirk pulled his hand back, blushing in embarrassment. 

“I just wanted to check, in case it was a joke or something,” Kirk said, “you’re not lying, are you?” 

“Vulcans cannot lie. I informed you you would learn the truth in due time, and now you have,” Spock said. 

“Well, that makes our relationship a hell of alot easier.” Kirk joked lightly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“If you are uncomfortable being in a relationship with me-” Spock began.

“Oh, no no, I’m fine with it. Just give me a second to adjust, that’s all,” Kirk said, waving him off. He paced on the lawn for a little bit, even taking a second to look through the telescope that was focused on Spock’s homeworld. 

“I guess there are weirder things people tell each other,” Kirk said at last, turning back to Spock. He stood on his tiptoes and kissed him, before going back to the telescope. 

“Fascinating,” Spock said, clearly thinking that nothing really beat being told that their partner was an alien. 

“You’re the space expert then, show me the stars,” Kirk said, standing back from the telescope and gestured to the telescope. Spock adjusted the position of the telescope with ease, settling it on a different section of space before standing back for Kirk to look through it. 

They spent the evening looking through the telescope, occasionally brushing fingers and chaste kisses that lingered for a few seconds longer than necessary. All too soon they had to return the telescope, and all they had was a quiet taxi drive back home. Spock looked odd in his beanie after the fact, but Kirk felt completely lost on a suitable excuse that would deter any nosy people that noticed the strange cosmetic issue. 

“So this prime directive stuff, is that part of your space exploring criteria?” Kirk asked as they stood outside of his apartment complex. 

“Yes, so we do not change the course of a planet in any fashion,” Spock said.

“And what are you here for, Spock?” Kirk asked. 

“To study how your technology advances, which will take a few years. But if I am called back from my mission, I must go,” Spock said.   
Kirk didn’t even dare to ask the question that nagged at him. Instead he pulled Spock into a tight hug. He let go of him, and gave him a sad smile. 

“I’ll see you again soon?” Kirk asked. 

“Perhaps we could go to the library once again,” Spock suggested. 

“That would be great. Goodnight, Spock,” Kirk said, and disappeared into the apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well it only took seven chapters before Spock blew his big secret, oops! In light of what happened today to the actor of Chekov, I will be doing a specific chapter for Chekov alone in the near future, as Yelchin's characterization of him drew me into the series, and I want to pay homage to such a wonderful actor losing his life so soon. As always, thank you for reading along. :)


	8. Chapter 8

Kirk was woken up at the dead of night by a phone call from Spock. He was half tempted to just leave it and get back to him later on, but decided that it must’ve been an emergency, seeing that Spock didn’t enjoy speaking on phones all that often.

“Hello?” He answered sleepily, rubbing his eye. He focused on the alarm clock beside his bed, glowing an eerily green as it reflected the time to be one in the morning. 

“Is this James T. Kirk?” An unfamiliar voice demanded. 

“Yeah, this is he,” Kirk sat up in bed, looking around dazedly. 

“Your boyfriend is seriously injured, James. He told me to call you instead of getting an ambulance, he said you had some man living there named Bones that could help him?” The man asked. Kirk shot out of bed, tripping over his desk chair on his way out into the hall. He thanked god that Bones wasn’t on call tonight, or else he didn’t know what else he would do. He threw open the door and turned on the light, causing Bones to roll over and groan. 

“Bones, it’s Spock. He’s hurt,” Kirk said, ducking out of the room. 

“Did you know your boyfriend is some goddamn extraterrestrial being?” The man demanded. 

“It came up once or twice. Where was he shot? Is he bleeding heavily? How far away are you?” Kirk wrote down the details the man gave him as Bones came into the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee before looking into their medical kit. He walked over and glanced at the notes Kirk was taking, and grunted. 

“I’m gonna have to pull Christine into this mess Jim.” Bones told Kirk, going to grab his phone. “Hopefully she’s still at the hospital, because Spock’s gonna need a hell of a lot to keep him going.”

“Thanks, Bones. Hey, what’s your name again?” Kirk asked the person.

“Hikaru Sulu. I’ll be there in five, I hope you don’t mind green on your furniture.” Sulu shut the phone off, and Kirk set the phone down. Bones was talking rapidly into the phone, listing off a list of supplies that they would need. He finished off with a thank you to Christine before hanging his own phone up. 

“Tell me why he couldn’t of gone to a hospital.” Bones said, setting the phone down on the kitchen counter. He went and opened up a closet between the two of the rooms, grabbing several white sheets and pulling them down. He set them on the coffee table and pulled the coffee table to the far side of the room. 

“He’s an alien, Bones. Don’t give me that look, he really is. And you’re the only doctor that won’t freak out and call and report him to area 51 or something,” Kirk said, moving to throw the cushions off the couch and behind the coffee table. 

“You’d better not be fucking with me Jim. If he comes in here bleeding like a normal person and not, I don't know, bleeding petals, you’re gonna get it,” Bones said, pulling out the collapsible bed. He stripped the bed of its usual sheets, and Kirk threw on the clean sheets they had. Together they fixed the bed, and not a moment too soon. There was a knock at the door, and Kirk ran to open it. 

Sulu was supporting Spock, one arm thrown around his waist, the other flung over his shoulder. Spock looked pale, and he was holding his side. Kirk moved out of the way, and Sulu practically dragged Spock into the living room and onto the bed. 

“Aw, geez Spock, did you have to ruin my nice couch?” Bones asked, bringing the med kit over and setting by his side as he kneeled by the Vulcan. 

“It was not intentional, Doctor, but I do believe that it did not go with your interior at all,” Spock said, wincing as Bones began to cut his shirt away. 

“Oh, great. Good to know you’re still able to insult me even though I’m gonna be the one cutting you open,” Bones said dryly. 

“Are you going to get in trouble for this?” Kirk asked Spock, watching Sulu as he went into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. His hands were coated in green, causing Kirk’s stomach to flip uneasily. 

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.” Spock replied in way of answer. 

“Alright philosopher, tell me everything about your biology while Christine gets here with the medical supplies,” Bones said. Kirk went into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, trying to find a way to make smalltalk with Sulu. In the other room Spock was speaking rapidly to Bones, talking about the basics of what Kirk guessed only to be basic Vulcan biology.

“Your friend. Boyfriend. Whatever. How long have you known of his condition?” Sulu asked, gesturing to the living room with his coffee mug. He looked grim in his FBI uniform, although Kirk wouldn’t of pegged him as anyone older than 23 at most. 

“After we became exclusive, before we got to third base.” Kirk replied with a slight shrug. 

“I feel like i'm in a damn X-files episode, except Scully is the alien,” Sulu said, shaking his head ruefully. 

“I appreciate that you came here instead of going straight to the hospital instead,” Kirk said. 

“I’ve worked with Spock for several months. It would’ve been betrayal on my part not to,” Sulu said simply, going to the kitchen sink. He set his coffee mug down and washed his hand free of the green blood. 

“If you need to shower, we have a bathroom you can use, as well as some of my clothes while yours are cleaned,” Kirk offered. 

Sulu appeared to debate with himself for a long moment, fiddling with his wristwatch as he gazed into the livingroom, where Bones had managed to get the shirt off of Spock. 

“Yeah, that would be nice actually,” Sulu said at last, shoulders sagging a little. 

Kirk grabbed him a change of jeans and a faded old band shirt, handing them to Sulu just before he stepped into the bathroom. 

Just then Chapel and Uhura burst into the living room, not even bothering to knock. Uhura clapped her hands over her mouth in shock as Chapel moved right on over to Bones, kneeling beside him as she began to pull instruments out of her bag. 

“Apparently his alien nervous system can prioritize itself and heal the wound in a span of days, but Spock here is just selfish enough to ask us to get the bullet out,” Bones said. 

Kirk made his way over to Uhura, where they both started to head into the kitchen. 

“Nyota, I need to tell you something, please. Get something to write on,” Spock called from the couch. Uhura threw Kirk a look before plucking a pen from the counter. Kirk scrambled to find a sheet of paper, and tore some out of a notebook before handing it to her. Uhura made her way to the bed and sat on the end of it.

“What is it, Spock?” Uhura asked, pen poised. 

“Every few weeks it is mandatory for me to report in to the starship in order to reflect that I am well and that I have not been compromised. It just happens to be that tomorrow is the day that I must make contact,” Spock said. He broke off for a moment as Bones injected some morphine into his arm, only to mutter something in the strange language that Kirk could only assume to be his mother tongue. 

“I need you to speak to them in my language. If you can manage the same tone of my voice, that would be best, but it is the best we can hope for,” Spock said. 

“Of course, Spock. Just tell me what I need to say,” Uhura bowed her head and wrote feverishly as Spock dictated what she had to say as she wrote out his speech in a string of laced together phonetics that Kirk could only guess would help her remember the pronunciation of the unfamiliar words. 

“Thank you, Nyota. When I wake, I will teach you the meaning of those words,” Spock replied, exhaustion clear in his voice as he closed his eyes. 

“Hopefully it isn’t saying to hang me for mutilating him,” Bones said. 

“Oh, Spock isn’t the kind to do that,” Uhura replied, standing up and going back into the kitchen with Kirk. They gave Chapel and Bones their space as they performed surgery on Spock, partially because Kirk felt nauseated at the thought alone, and Uhura was keeping him company. He couldn’t remember what they spoke about, but it was a relief when Sulu came out and joined them in the kitchen once more. He looked more put together than before, and went right back to drinking his lukewarm coffee. 

“I’m assuming I’ll have to take this secret to the grave,” Sulu said, setting his coffee mug down. 

“We all will,” Uhura said.

“I’m going to have to write a report about the incident, there’s no way they’ll let the paperwork slide for long. It was his first assignment and he had the bad luck to go and get shot,” Sulu said. 

“What did happen, Sulu?” Kirk asked. 

“I’m not exactly sure, it was just a standard check up on one of our informants. Someone pulled a gun and Spock got in the way of things and I suppose he bit the bullet for me,” Sulu said, smiling ruefully. 

“So our alien is a self-sacrificing hero?” Uhura asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“That appears to be the case,” Sulu replied. “But I can’t go and write that into my report, because the hospital records need to be presentable along with it.”  
“We have a doctor and a nurse here, a bed and medical supplies,” Kirk said. “I don’t see why not, I mean it would be risky and Bones and Christine might not want to risk the fallout, but I’m sure they can print some documents saying he was in and out.” 

“That could cost McCoy his internship, and Chapel would most definitely be on probation at the very least. You’re talking about ruining two of our friends livelihoods for someone we’ve known for maybe half a year,” Uhura said. 

“He took a bullet for Sulu, Nyota. We can’t just let him have his cover blown just because there are risks,” Kirk said. 

“It’s not the cover, Jim. You just don’t want him to be pulled out of his alien mission that keeps him here,” Uhura said.

“And what if that’s the case?” Kirk demanded. Uhura only shook her head and walked out of the kitchen.

“I’m calling Scotty,” She called, before slamming the door behind her on her way out. 

Kirk ran his hands through his hair, feeling frustrated. If only he had the right words to say, to sway them all into doing the right thing. Spock was their friend after all! There was no way they would just leave him to wake up to a world that no longer wanted him just because he chose to save an innocent man's life. 

But then again, it came down to Bones and Chapel. Uhura had a point. He just hoped they wouldn’t have the same one as her. 

 

Scotty arrived around six in the morning, Chekov in tow along with donuts and coffee for everyone. Chapel was checking Spock’s vitals, and Sulu was nodding off. Kirk was honestly impressed that he had stuck around the whole night through. It was possible that he felt that if he did try to leave, they wouldn’t of let him go until he swore an oath not to tell a single soul. 

Which, arguably, was true.

Sulu leaped up at the sight of donuts, practically cornering Chekov as he nabbed a donut and coffee from him before going to sit back down. Chekov, to his credit, only looked a little flustered as he set the food and drink down on the kitchen table. 

“So I hear Spock here is an alien?” Scotty asked. 

“It appears to be so, Bones had a hell of a time operating on him and getting the bullet out,” Kirk said. 

“Aye, well, it’s his own fault for gettin’ shot in the first place,” Scotty turned and waved to Sulu. “and who might you be?”

“HIkaru Sulu,” Sulu said around a mouthful of donut.

“Hickory Smoke? Huh, never heard of a Hickory before,” Scotty turned away, chattering to Uhura instead. Uhura had calmed down after their argument, but she was still keeping away from Kirk in the time being.

“Hikaru Sulu,” Sulu clarified for no one, although Chekov seemed to appreciate the clarification. 

Bones came back out of his room, having gone in for a short nap in order to regain his sanity. He grumbled a hello to Scotty and Chekov, completely bypassing them for the coffee, which he practically chugged. 

“Spock’s vitals are perfectly fine. I mean, for his species I’m assuming. His heartrate would have been indicative of a heart attack if I hadn’t known better,” Chapel said. She went over to Uhura, resting her head on her shoulder for a few moments. 

“I think I should make that call soon. Christine, do you mind going with me to Spock’s place and getting his telecommunicator with me?” Uhura asked. Chapel nodded, and hand in hand they excused themselves to run the errand. Kirk just hoped they would follow through, and Uhura wouldn’t say anything different that would arouse suspicion with Spock’s superiors. 

“Alright, Jim. You’ve been acting like there’s a wasp stinging you every few minutes. Out with it then,” Bones said. 

“I need you to print off documents stating that Spock’s received medical care in the hospital,” Kirk burst out.

“Well I know that, you’re not exactly quiet enough not to be heard in such a small apartment,” Bones said dismissively, picking through the donuts. 

“Does this mean you’ll do it?” Kirk asked.

“Did Spock enter the hospital at 1:49 am on a tuesday morning? And if I remember correctly, he was brought into emergency surgery and patched up by an intern that no one cares about as long as the job is done.” Bones smiled at Kirk. “yeah, I’ll lie for you kid.” 

“Oh, thank you so much. I owe you one, Bones,” Kirk said, relieved. 

“You owe me several hours of peace and quiet is what you owe me, and don’t make this a habit again,” Bones said. 

“I’ll try,” Kirk said. 

“Am I allowed to leave, now?” Sulu asked, from his place at the kitchen table. 

“I can get the documents today during my shift. When do you need that form turned in?” Bones asked, in way of answering Sulu’s question.

“Just call me. My numbers on the paper there. Just...tell me how Spock is doing, I’ll stop by again,” Sulu stood and stifled a yawn, even though he had had several cups of coffee. 

“Get yourself checked out too, it’s no laughing matter to see your partner shot,” Bones said sternly.

“I’ll see about that, Doctor. I don’t think ‘my FBI partner is an alien that sacrificed himself for me’ is going to fly well,” Sulu said.

“Not if you have a head injury,” Bones said. 

“Good point, after tonight I just might have one after all. Er, good morning everyone,” Sulu raised his arm in a half wave as he left the apartment, shutting the apartment door gently behind him.

“You should sleep Jim. Staying up wont do him any good, and there’s nothing we can do but wait until he wakes up,” Bones said. 

“I know, I know. I just feel terrible for cornering Christine and you like that. Nyota had a point, I shouldn’t of asked you guys to just risk your careers like that for Spock,” Kirk said. 

“Nyota also has more to lose if Christine get’s her nursing license revoked. I wouldn’t take it personally, they’re just planning to get married soon and it would set their plans back if she lost her job,” Bones said.

“Wait, they’re going to get married?” Kirk asked.

“I went with Nyota the other day to look for rings with her, of course she has an idea of what to get Christine, but she wanted my opinion on it,” Scotty put in.

“Oh, I should’ve known. I wasn’t even aware.” Kirk put his face in his hands, feeling absolutely lost that he had missed out on one of the biggest decisions of his friends lives. And for what, but Spock?

“Don’t beat yourself up for it, we’ve all been through that lovesick phase,” Bones said. 

“I’ll get them flowers or something. Apologize for being so self-absorbed,” Kirk said. 

“First you’ll sleep though. Doctor’s orders,” Bones said. 

“Haven’t heard that one yet,” Kirk said, getting up from his position in the kitchen and going into the living room. He had partially avoided Spock for the reason that he couldn’t stand the thought of Spock being operated on. But now that he saw him under a white linen blanket, he looked like he was just comatose. Kirk wondered if he could hear them, or if he was dreaming of his homeworld instead. 

For the first time, Kirk wondered if it would’ve been best for Spock to be returned home and the mission canceled. It wouldn’t be the first time Kirk got over a broken heart. He decided to save the question for when he was less weary of the world and all that it contained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! Sorry for the break, I'm starting senior year of high school, so it's been kind of hectic. Plus, I changed blogs! I'm at ronanvlynch if you wanna come and say hi. Thank you for reading as always!!!


	9. Chapter 9

Kirk was never really good at waiting. He always had to be doing something, especially in event of disaster. But this was something he couldn’t fight. Spock lay healing in his living room, still unresponsive two days later. And there was also Uhura and Chapel to worry over. While Chapel appeared to act just the same with Bones at work, Uhura had made no move to contact Kirk since that fateful night.

For the six hundredth time that day, Kirk flung a bouncy ball against the opposing wall and watched it ping against the side of the tv before it landed in his outstretched palm once more. His phone lay on the counter beside him, absent of any notifications. The very air itself seemed to be lying in wait for Spock to wake up too. 

Bones was at work, so there was no one to prattle to, and Kirk felt guilty about leaving Spock alone at home. He felt like Spock might have some odd alien mumbo jumbo that would notify him of his surroundings, and he wasn’t exactly sure if it would be offensive to leave him in such a state. 

The doorbell rang, and Kirk leapt to his feet, resting a hand on Spock’s shoulder momentarily as he made his way to the door. 

“Hey, Christine, Nyota.” Kirk said brightly.

“I’m just stopping by to check in on our neighborhood alien,” Chapel explained, brushing past Kirk. Uhura eyed Kirk for a moment, jaw jutted out as she passed him as well. 

“Nice to see you too?” Kirk said faintly, shutting the door behind them. He followed the two of them into the livingroom. Uhura perched herself on the edge of the stand that held the tv, looking properly irritated as she tapped her foot impatiently. Chapel, seemingly unaware of the state of her girlfriend, knelt beside Spock and got out a stethoscope. 

“Can I speak to you for a second, Jim?” Uhura asked suddenly, and without waiting for a response pushed herself off the stand and headed into his room. Kirk tried to catch Chapel’s eye, but she was seemingly engrossed in checking Spock’s vitals. Swallowing hard, Kirk followed Uhura into his room. 

“Shut the door,” Uhura said, sitting on Kirk’s bed. He did as she asked before standing awkwardly against the door. 

“I can’t believe you would sacrifice your friend’s livelihood just for some...some guy you met at a stupid ice cream parlor,” She burst out, glaring at him. 

“Hey, Christine and Bones could of backed out at any time,” Kirk said defensively.

“No, they really couldn’t have. Who wants to be the one who disappoints the great James Tiberius Kirk?” Uhura said. 

“If you mean they wouldn’t of been able to handle the guilt of letting someone they know die, than yeah, you caught me,” Kirk said. 

“Oh, so now it’s some squeaky clean ethical dilemma now, isn’t it?” Uhura shook her head ruefully, “You should hear yourself talk.” 

Kirk spread his hands out in front of him helplessly, “Than what should I have done then, Nyota?” 

“You should’ve distanced yourself from him the second you found out he was an alien. We have lives outside of yours, you know. I don’t want to lose the love of my life to some offended alien race because she stuck their spy with a scalpel,” Uhura ranted. 

 

“What would you of done if it was Christine? I couldn’t just let him bleed out! I care about him, I-I-” Kirk balled his hands into fists helplessly. 

“I what, Jim?” She said. 

“I love him, that’s all,” Jim said helplessly. 

“Yeah well, you can love him all you want, but that doesn’t mean you put your friends on the line for him,” Uhura said. 

“I know that. I just...I’m sorry, I won’t tie Christine and you up in...any of this, anymore,” Kirk said. 

“How long do you think this is going to last, Jim?” Uhura asked, softer this time. 

“I don't know,” Kirk said, “until he leaves me, I guess.” 

“You’re a damn idiot, you know that right?” Uhura said, taking a deep breath. Kirk nodded absently, dropping his gaze to the carpeted floor. 

“I get loving somebody. More than anything. If Christine got shot like Spock did...I have no idea what i’d do,” Uhura said. 

“Call Bones, probably,” Kirk offered quietly. He glanced up to catch Uhura’s small smile. 

“I suppose you’re right,” She admitted at last. 

They sat in silence together for a few moments, ruminating over what they had discussed. 

“Does this mean I’m no longer invited to your wedding?” Kirk asked. Uhura rolled her eyes. 

“I suppose you’re still considered to be invited, but I’m going to sit you behind a big vase, so I won’t have to look at your face,” Uhura said. 

“...Fair enough,” Kirk said. He jumped a little at the knock at the door, and hurried to open it. 

“Are you two made up now?” Chapel asked, resting a hand on her hip as she glanced between the two of them. 

“As good as we’ll ever be,” Uhura said breezily, rising to her feet and going to Chapel’s side. 

“You would not believe how long Nyota complained about you, I felt like I would never get any sleep,” Chapel said, smiling good-naturedly at him. 

“That’s not true! I just...practiced what I wanted to say, is all,” Uhura said. 

“Mmhm, sure darling,” Chapel said. Nyota pecked her on the cheek, before slipping out into the livingroom. 

“Really, she was absolutely livid, but she said to me, “Christie, I’ve got to break his heart so he gets the point,”” Chapel said to Kirk, cocking her head to the side as she gazed up at him. 

“Well, consider my heart sufficiently broken,” Kirk said, resting his hand over his heart solemnly. Chapel laughed and shook her head. 

“We love you Jim, but you really are lovesick over that boy,” Chapel said, shaking her head softly as she left the room. 

“I am not,” Kirk protested, following after the two of them. 

“What did I hear about a wedding?” Chapel asked, changing the subject. Uhura looked suitably horrified, and Kirk was hardpressed to come up with an excuse to derail Chapel from the trail. 

“Oh uhm. Y’know, Bones’ mother is getting married again!” Kirk burst out, “and Uhura is doing the wedding invitations,” 

“Isn’t she a hundred years old?” Chapel asked, unimpressed. 

“Ninety-eight, her fiance is eighty, a real cradle robber y'know,” Kirk said, feeling like Uhura was going to murder him any second. 

“...Yeah, I heard that it was that Eugene guy, the uh, the peach farmer,” Uhura tacked on.

“A peach farmer in Georgia,” Chapel said. 

“Yeah! Eugene practically started the whole peach farmer trend in the state!” Kirk said, glancing at Uhura with a panicked look. If he was panicked, she looked downright terrified. 

“Oh, well, I’ll be happy to be eating peach cobbler and mint juleps with the McCoy family then,” Chapel said, smiling at the both of them. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, peaches don’t grow in fall,” Kirk said.

If looks could kill, Kirk was certain Uhura would be a murderer at that very moment. 

“But that definitely doesn’t mean ol’ Eugene won’t have any preserves in stock! Won’t be near as good, but you know, what can you do,” Kirk said hopelessly. 

“Well, Bones will be off work in half an hour. We can just ask him then,” Chapel said, and settled herself down right in the armchair of the living room. 

“Don’t you have to make a call, Jim? To a certain relative of Bones’ mother,” Uhura suggested, glaring at him. 

“Oh, of course!” Kirk practically dove out of the room after he picked up his phone. Barricading himself in his room, he waited until the tv was on until he furiously texted Bones that he had to act like his mother was definitely getting married to some guy named Eugene back in Georgia. 

Bones for some reason, did not deign to show any sign that he had read Kirk’s texts. 

Defeated, Kirk shuffled into the living room and settled himself at the foot of Spock’s bed. Uhura and Chapel were cuddled in the armchair, and they all pretended to watch an episode of scrubs. Even comedy shows lost a bit of their lustre when there was a comatose guy in the same room. 

When Bones opened the door to the apartment, it was a race to try and get to him first. Kirk thought he saw Uhura grab Chapel’s ankle to prevent her from running to intercept Bones, but all that mattered was that he got there first. He pushed Bones into the hallway and slammed the door behind him, holding onto the doorknob so it wouldn’t open. 

“What in god’s name are you doing, man?” Bones demanded, a vein bulging in his forehead. 

“Shush, shush!” Kirk said, waving his hand rapidly. 

“Don’t you dare shush me you little-” Bones began as the door rattled. Kirk fought to keep it closed, and he thought he heard a muffled thump, which he assumed to be Uhura taking her girlfriend away from the door again. 

“You have to act like your mother is marrying some peach farmer in Georgia or else Christine’s gonna know she’s being proposed to and it’ll ruin the whole wedding because she overheard Nyota and me okay?” Kirk said breathlessly. 

“Excuse me?” Bones said. 

“Listen, I don’t have time to repeat myself, she’s about to open the door,” Kirk said, trying valiantly to keep the door shut. 

“I’ll tell her whatever I damn well please, get outta my way,” Bones pushed Kirk out of the way, and at the same time Chapel pulled the door open, so they were face to face. 

“Guess who’s getting a new stepfather!” Bones said brightly, forcing a grin that looked very much like a ‘I hate Jim Kirk’ type of smile. 

“Oh, seriously?” Chapel asked, looking disappointed. 

“I, for one, am very pleased to have another father figure in my life, Christine.” Bone said, gritting his teeth as he brushed past her and into the apartment. 

Chapel frowned at Kirk before she followed Bones. Uhura winked at him, looking vastly relieved that the truth hadn’t been leaked. Together they went back inside. 

“Has the goblin woken up yet?” Bones asked, pulling a drink out of the fridge. 

“His vitals have remained the same as the previous two days,” Chapel reported. 

“Figures, if that didn’t wake him, nothing else will,” Bones said dryly, opening the soda as he headed to the armchair. 

“Well, he said it would take a few days,” Uhura put in, pulling a chair from the small dining room to sit right by the arm chair. 

“Hmmph, he’s gonna have to start paying rent soon if it takes any longer,” Bones said. 

“Aw Bones, he’s not being any trouble at all,” Kirk said, joining them. 

“You’ve been skipping out on work to fuss over your boyfriend, and no amount of fussing is going to pay for our electricity,” He grumbled. 

“I’ve still been doing my dog walking, don’t worry about it Bones,” Kirk said. 

“Don’t tell me what I can and cannot worry about. Apparently my new father is a peach farmer,” Bones said. 

“Aw, let it go already, he’s going to be a lovely addition to the family,” Kirk said. 

“You know Christie, we have to get home to feed Tribble and the little ones,” Uhura pointed out gently. 

“Oh, that’s right! The four little ones are growing to be such a handful. Are you certain you guys can’t take one on?” Chapel asked hopefully. 

“I hate cats.” Bones stated. 

“We would love to.” Kirk said at the same time. 

“Watch it,” Bones warned.

“Maybe we can talk about it some other time,” Kirk amended. 

“All right, let us know if Spock wakes up, okay?” Uhura said, as Chapel gathered her things. 

“Of course. Thanks for stopping by Nyota. And uh, thank you, for er, everything.” Kirk said. 

“What are friends for?” Uhura said, smiling wryly up at him before linking arms with Chapel. Together the two of them left, and Kirk collapsed in the dining room chair beside Bones.

“You almost let it slip that Uhura was going to propose, didn’t you?” Bones asked, staring at the television screen. 

“Yeah,” Kirk said, embarrassed. 

“Who thought of the peach farmer bit?” He asked. 

“It was Nyota actually,” He said. Bones hmmphed at that.

“I see that you two are talking again. That’s good,” Bones said lightly. 

“Oh, uh, yeah. Not before she ran me through hell and back first, though,” Kirk replied. 

“She comes from a good place, Jim. Can’t blame her for protecting Christine where she can,” Bones said. 

“I know, I know. I apologized,” Kirk said. 

“Good, now go make us some dinner,” Bones suggested. Kirk was all too happy to keep himself busy. 

 

Long after Bones turned in for the night, Kirk stayed up beside Spock. He wondered if it was weird to watch over his boyfriend while he was in a coma, but it wasn’t like there was anything else to do. He hardly slept, wondering if Spock really wasn’t going to pull through. And his dreams were no better.   
After awhile, he began to read poetry aloud, hoping that if Spock was really aware of his surroundings, he wouldn't be so bored. He read some from memory, some from his phone, but mostly he tried to keep himself talking. Stifling a yawn, he hunkered down beside Spock, careful not to jostle him, but close enough so he would hear if Spock woke. 

All the while he spoke sleepily, about gossamer mornings hanging by a thread, or the trees stripping their golden dresses for the winter, and even of the whispering hum of bees in the thickets of an endless orchard. 

And just as he felt himself drifting off, he felt Spock stir, and an arm wrap around his waist, pulling him close, protectively. 

“T’hy’la,” Spock murmured softly, pressing his lips into the concave of Kirk’s jaw, and maybe that too was part of a dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, eugene the peach farmer, a fictional man in a fictional world. Thank you for reading as always, and I love seeing your commentary on the chapters. Love you guys <3


	10. Chapter 10

Kirk stirred, reaching out with blind fingers towards Spock. His hand found nothing but empty air. He lifted his head, blinking blurrily at the opposite arm of the couch. It was early in the morning, given that the light filtering through the window casted the room with long shadows. The kitchen light was on, and if he wasn’t mistaken, someone was making bacon. 

“Spock?” Kirk asked sleepily, pushing himself up to look around the apartment. There was no sight of the alien. Panicked, he stumbled out of bed and into the kitchen, where he found Spock cooking him breakfast. 

“Good morning, Jim.” Spock said, a concentrated air to him as he whisked eggs in a bowl. 

“I, uh, should you be making breakfast when you’re recovering from being shot?” Kirk asked. 

“Do not worry about my health, my Vulcan anatomy is capable of accelerated healing in comparison to your species’,” Spock said. He glanced up at Kirk, and offered a hint of a smile before he went back to whisking eggs. 

“That’s just about what Bones said, but I don’t think he’d want to be seeing you slaving away in the kitchen even if you’ve got superhero regrowing abilities,” Kirk protested. 

“It is customary for one human to make breakfast after they have slept together. Since we have done just that, I must fulfill this part of the courtship process,” Spock said. 

Kirk felt himself go very, very red. 

“W-we didn’t do anything though, Spock. I just fell asleep reading you poetry, which in retrospect was weird, and uh, that’s not what sleeping together means anyway,” Kirk said. 

“According to the wikihow articles I have read concerning human courtship rituals, sleeping together involves sleeping in the same bed,” He said. 

“You’re taking advice from wikihow on how to woo me?” Kirk blurted out.

“I have found it very useful thus far,” Spock said. 

“I’m gonna go take a shower,” Kirk said, shuffling out of the kitchen. 

By the time he got out of the bathroom, Spock had set up the kitchen table with a platter of breakfast food, along with two plates. His cooking skills had vastly improved, seeing that nothing looked burnt. 

“You’re lucky Bones doesn’t have an early shift, he would’ve felt left out,” Kirk said, toweling his hair dry as Spock set down a plate of pancakes. 

“There may potentially be leftovers. He can have those if he likes,” Spock said. 

“Maybe you should wake him up after we eat, so he doesn’t think you weren’t abducted by your fellow aliens or anything while I was at work,” Kirk said. 

“Abduction is the improper term, we use such vernacular as beaming up,” He explained, sitting at the table. 

“Oh, fancy,” Kirk said, tossing the towel in the general direction of the laundry room as he sat down at the table opposite of Spock. 

“I trust that Nyota was capable of communicating the message to Starfleet?” Spock asked, taking a bite of toast. 

“Well, we’re not currently facing independence day; the wrath of Spock’s species, so I’m assuming so,” Kirk said, shoveling bacon and eggs onto his plate. He took note that Spock only selected pancakes and toast for his own plate. He wondered if he was unable to consume meat, but decided it would be rude to ask. 

“Was there a previous contact with aliens I did not know about?” Spock asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

“Oh, no no. It’s this movie where aliens show up on earth and try to kill everyone becausethey want to destroy the Earth,” Kirk explained. 

“Fascinating,” Spock said. 

“Humans really aren’t all that afraid of aliens I think. It’s just an easy gimmick to do an us versus them kind of movie,” Kirk said. 

“Perhaps it is wise to fear unknown things,” He said. 

Kirk smiled at Spock. Leave it to him to turn breakfast into a philosophical debate. 

“I believe that it’s humanity’s fear of the unknown is its own undoing. We have a certain kind of knack for ruining things because we don’t understand it,” Kirk said. 

“A fear of the unknown is just an evolutionary factor of lifeforms, but it can be faced and overcome with reasoning,” Spock said. 

“I get the feeling you’re speaking from experience,” He said, hoping to get Spock to open up. 

“I cannot say I personally have faced anything I was not able to find a solution for,” Spock said shortly.

Kirk dropped his head a little, focusing on the eggs. He pushed them around his plate, wondering if he was ever going to figure out anything in Spock’s past. Just as he was about to change the subject, Spock cleared his throat. 

“In the past, the people of Vulcan were...very turbulent. It was not until a vulcan by the name of Surak who would be the first to attempt to create peace amongst the warring tribes. While he did not live to see his dream succeed, his writing gave life to modern Vulcan,” Spock said. 

“Sounds like he saved your people from the brink of destroying each other forever,” Kirk said. 

“Indeed,” He inclined his head to Kirk. 

“I’m sorry to say that while I would love to spend the day with you, I do have to work today,” Kirk said, frowning a little. “I used up all my sick days making sure you were okay, and if I don’t go in today I might get fired.” 

“That was unwise of you to do so Jim, if you fall ill you risk infecting those that you wish to serve,” Spock pointed out. 

“Aw, I’ve got Bones to keep me healthy. Speaking of, I really gotta go or I’ll be late.” Kirk leapt to his feet and hurried into his room, where he managed to find a clean work uniform that he threw on. When he stepped back outside into the living room, Spock had cleared the table and was doing the dishes. 

“Hey, don’t forget to tell Bones you’re awake. And uh, talk to your partner before you leave. He was worried sick about you,” Kirk said, pausing a moment. 

“I will inform our friends of my current state, do not worry,” Spock said. 

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Kirk leaned over and kissed Spock on the cheek before he headed out of the apartment. 

 

Kirk felt like a very changed person compared to when he had last stepped foot into the sandwich shop that was his work. There was the same old Nancy with her victory curls hair and cigarette smoke clinging to her like a fine perfume. But if Nancy was good for anything, it was filling the hours between rush hour with her endless chattering. And if Nancy was out, Leighton was always good for a laugh. He was the owner of three rather fat pugs, and he fondly called them the three muskateers whenever he spoke of them. 

“I see the dog walking business hasn’t been paying enough for you to quit yet, huh?” Leighton called from the back as Kirk stepped into the shop. 

“Maybe if you let me walk your dogs, I could,” Kirk said, smiling. 

“And let them get all skinny? You know what my motto is, a fat dog is a happy dog,” Leighton called back. 

“Mmhm,” Kirk replied amiably. He went behind the counter, where Nancy put him to work chopping produce in the back with Leighton. 

“It’s not like you to miss a few days like that, is everything alright with your family?” Leighton asked. 

“Ah, well, there’s just someone I know that needed my help,” Kirk explained. 

“It’s not that Bones boy, is it?” Nancy asked, leaning through the service window to eavesdrop on their conversation. 

“Nah, Bones is doing just fine. It’s just that Spock guy I mentioned a few times before,” Kirk explained. 

“Oh, it’s not Miss Chapel right? She’s such a sweetheart whenever she comes in, I always slip her an extra cookie,” Nancy continued.

“It was Spock, you know, the guy I went and got ice cream with a few months back,” Kirk said. 

“Oh, he didn’t turn out to be trouble, did he?” Leighton asked, throwing Kirk a worried look as he swept the chopped onions into a container. 

“Not at all. I mean, he’s got his mysterious qualities, but he has to be, to stay around,” Kirk said. 

Leighton and Nancy both nodded sympathetically. 

“Rough homelife, then?” Leighton asked as Nancy backed out of the service window to serve an unseen customer. 

“In a way, I do suppose his homelife bothers him quite a bit,” Kirk said. 

“No matter, you’ll fix him right up and bring him along to meet us, won't ya?” Leighton asked, winking at Kirk before he stepped back out to be behind the counter. 

“I don’t think he likes sandwiches very much,” Kirk mumbled to himself, and busied himself in cutting up the rest of the produce before Nancy had to ask him twice. 

Kirk’s shift went by fast for that day. When he wasn’t cutting vegetables or refilling the sandwich condiments or baking cookies, there was always sweeping the main floor or cleaning the kitchen. Just as he was about to finish up with his shift, Sulu and a man along with a little girl stepped into the sandwich shop. 

“Good afternoon, Mister Sulu, how can I help you today?” Kirk asked, giving his best customer service smile. 

“Jim, I hadn’t expected to see you. I got a call from Spock earlier today so Ben and I decided to celebrate with lunch,” Sulu said, smiling at Kirk. He looked much happier, more relaxed than when they had first met. 

“It’s nice to meet you Ben, and who’s the little princess?” Kirk asked, addressing the little girl.

“My names Demora!” She chipped up, beaming up at him. She had several of her front teeth missing, giving an endearing quality to her. She tugged on Ben’s shirt tail and pointed at the display of cookies. “Ohhh, could I have one please?” 

“Maybe, sweetie, let’s see what daddy wants to get first,” Ben said.

“I swear Jim knows everyone who walks through that door. Tell you what, since your shift is just about over, why don’t I make up their sandwiches and you can sit and chat for a bit?” Nancy offered, coming up beside Kirk. 

“Thank you so much Nance, I owe you one,” Kirk said, vastly relieved to not having to make yet another sandwich. 

“I’ll remember that, maybe I’ll have you come by and get me groceries sometime,” she said, before taking the family’s orders. 

Kirk made sure to clean up as best as he could before he clocked out. While Nancy and Leighton could certainly clean up on their own, he felt guilty for leaving them to fend for themselves for three days while he got holed up with Spock. He would certainly have to walk Leighton’s dogs, even if it meant pushing them in some sort of dog stroller.

Sulu had chosen a little booth at the window of the shop. Ben and Demora were sitting across from him, and Demora was looking quite pleased to have her very own cookie to eat after her sandwich. Kirk headed over to say goodbye, but Sulu had other ideas, and patted the space beside him. 

“I’m not one to bite, you just caught me in a crabby mood when we first met,” Sulu assured him. 

“Given the circumstances, I can’t exactly blame you,” Kirk replied, sitting beside Sulu. 

“It was quite the shock,” Sulu said, glancing at Ben as he spoke. 

“I take it that you know what happened?” Kirk asked lightly. He wondered just how much Ben actually knew. 

“I know that Hikaru’s partner was shot, yeah. He was concerned beyond belief.” Ben said. 

“Daddy said he’s an alien!” Demora put in, faced creased with concern. 

“Oh, he did?” Kirk asked, looking at Sulu. 

“I consider family to be part of secret keeping,” Sulu said dryly. 

“No, no, I wouldn’t of expected you to keep it from your husband,” Kirk said quickly. He just hoped that their daughter wasn’t the type to talk about her dad’s alien friend during show and tell. 

“Besides, it’s a secret that only our friends and family know, right Demora?” Sulu asked, in which Demora bobbed her head up and down. 

“No one, not even Oreo can know!” She said earnestly, fixing Kirk with wide brown eyes. Kirk winked at her, and she tried unsuccessfully to wink back. 

“Oreo is her pet guinea pig,” Ben explained, taking a napkin and wiping some mayonnaise off of the corner of her mouth. 

“What a good name for a guinea pig,” Kirk said.

“His real name is actually Oregano, but Demora can’t quite pronounce it just yet,” Sulu said, smiling fondly at his daughter. 

“Owegino is a good name for a guinea pig!” Demora said, taking a massive bite of her cookie. 

Kirk stayed with them while they finished up their lunch. He found out that Demora was only in kindergarten, and that Ben worked as a first grade teacher in the same school. With Ben’s job working out perfectly with Demora’s schedule, they didn’t need to worry about Sulu’s odd job hours. Ben still didn’t like the risks of Sulu’s job, but there wasn’t much he could do to persuade him to take up another, as being an FBI agent was a lifelong dream of his. 

“And I am thankful that Hikaru has a dedicated partner such as Spock, without him I think he would’ve been hurt, and I can’t bare to imagine that,” Ben said, and fixed Sulu with a look that spoke volumes about how much he cared for him. 

“I can see why Spock would want to make sure he was safe,” Kirk agreed. He wondered how many times Sulu had brought up Demora to Spock; how often he’d pulled up photos of her playing in a sandbox, or at her first recital, showing just how proud he was to be a father. About how Ben had forgotten to take out the trash for the second time that month, how he always remembered to get Sulu flowers after a hard day at work. And how Spock would want to protect that as best as he could. 

Kirk also wondered how Spock would ever be able to leave Earth when his mission was completed. 

“I think it’s time we should get going, Ben and Demora have school tomorrow, and I’ve got a debriefing to go to,” Sulu said at last, putting his phone away. He had just gotten done showing Kirk several videos of Demora’s dance recital. 

“If Ben and you ever want to hang out with us, just let me know and we can arrange a night out,” Kirk offered, standing up. He glanced at his phone clock, and was shocked to see how quickly the time had passed. 

“We would love to, maybe this next Friday?” Sulu asked, and Kirk was all too happy to oblige. They went their separate ways on the sidewalk, Demora between her two dads chattering happily, while Ben and Sulu shared a looked of mutual fondness as they disapeared into the crowds. Kirk turned and went on his way, lightness in his step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one week? There must be something funky going on in the space time continuum! In all actuality, I've finally been able to hunker down and plot out the rest of this fic. I even got some side fics ready to be spun out for Uhura and Chapel, which I'm super excited about as well. :)   
> Plus, I'm happy to say that I didn't write anything too specific for Sulu, because I would've been kicking myself for not including Ben and Demora! (I keep adding on characters, oops.)   
> As always, thank you for reading along. I absolutely adore the comments, and I appreciate you guys for telling me what you think! <3

**Author's Note:**

> For any questions or comments, please message me at ronanvlynch.tumblr.com thank you so much!


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